Walk
by mustlovertp
Summary: After a betrayal leaves Edward reeling, he decides to change the course of his life. Starting over can be a daunting task. Will he let a certain young, brown eyed beauty help him find what he's looking for? AH canon pairings Rated M for adult content Olderward/Doctorward *Banner made by Falling Stars*
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ok, I caved and am posting here. This has been a long time coming and I have people to acknowledge. All 3 ladies have helped get this fic where it is. I hope you enjoy it ;)**

**Kari-I wouldn't even be here without you and I don't have words...I love you dearly. **

**Kim-My personal cheerleader, who would swim the oceans that separate us to kick someone's ass if I needed her to. Much love, Sweetie.**

**Chevy-You are so totally awesome. (did I just date myself with that phrase?) I'd flip you off, but people wouldn't understand. 3**

***All characters of Twilight belong to S. Meyers. No copyright infringement intended. **

**This first chapter contains the controversial subject of abortion. I do NOT condone the way it is used in this first chapter. It will not be a running theme, and will only be touched on in future chapters to move the plot along. **

* * *

Walk

._..I'm learning to walk again  
I believe I've waited long enough  
Where do I begin?  
I'm learning to talk again  
Can't you see I've waited long enough  
Where do I begin?*_

Chapter 1

I think all the radio stations between Santa Fe and Phoenix were in a secret conspiracy pact; every song on the radio felt like it was specifically dedicated to me. Men and women singing about heartache and starting over, pining away for a lost love. I hated it. I damn near broke the knob when I turned off the radio.

I was feeling every one of my 35 years right about now. I wasn't just road weary, I was life weary. I'd packed up what little belongings I had left and paid the landlord for what I owed him. It was a sorry ass, flea ridden, weekly rental unit that had been my home most recently and it was definitely not worth what he was charging. At the time, though, I really hadn't cared.

My marriage was over.

I now saw that as a good thing, but what a fucking waste of time. Everything I had been working for, that I had been planning for, was nothing but a lie.

That last night with Kate kept replaying itself in my head. I couldn't turn that shit off.

All I had been trying to do was take a little trip down memory lane. Fuck me for being nostalgic.

Kate and I had our ups and downs, like anyone. After two years of dating and five years of marriage, we'd been through a lot. My mother had pushed Kate at me, having met her when Kate was first starting out at the agency. Mother was having some ad mock ups done for her book store and Kate sat in on the meeting. After that, I never heard the end of how wonderful Kate was.

_'What a breath of fresh air she is, Edward.' _

_'...So smart, Edward.' _

_'...Such a go-getter!'_

I finally relented and met her.

Kate and I hit it off well enough. She was smart, pretty and confident, all the things my mother had said. I found her appealing and wanted to see where we'd go. Hearing my mother tell me every week that I needed to start to think about settling down, didn't help at all, either.

I had gotten my Doctorate of Physiotherapy degree, specializing in pediatric rehabilitation. When I was 15, a friend of mine had a horseback riding accident. I saw, first hand, how the physical therapist helped her to regain the use of her legs. Her therapist had even used the very horse that had been involved in her accident. I decided then, that was what I wanted to do.

My plans changed some, well...a lot, when I met Kate. She had an aversion to horses and convinced me that I could do just as much good without them. The hospital's clinic I worked at did keep me busy and immensely fulfilled, so I didn't miss it too much. I felt like those patients were my kids, and couldn't wait to have some of my own.

So, there we were, seven years later. Still childless, after trying for most of our married life. Kate had problems getting pregnant at first. After almost 3 years with no success, I suggested adoption. That idea didn't sit very well with her. She wasn't ready to give up trying to conceive our own, she'd said. Shortly after that, she did get pregnant, only to miscarry three times.

Understandably, things changed with us. Kate became distant and uninterested in much but work. I knew it was just her way of coping with the disappointment, but I felt like she didn't see that I was disappointed, too.

Our lives became routine after that. My schedule was usually predictable, while Kate's was anything but. Intimacy all but left and I am ashamed to say that my sex life consisted of internet porn and my hand. Though the satisfaction I gained from it was temporarily fulfilling, what I really craved was the closeness, that special bond that I honestly never even had with Kate.

It was after a particularly difficult day at the clinic, that I had come home with my mind overtired, thinking about my life and what it had become. I was beginning to think that my best years were behind me. The years I'd spent in college were much more than a learning experience. I'd made some wonderful, lifelong friends and had a lot of great memories.

I wanted to recapture some of those feelings, so I went after the box that was on the top shelf of our closet, all the way in the back corner. Sitting behind a bunch of Kate's purses and shoe boxes, sat a box of my college mementos. As I pulled it out, a couple of her shoe boxes came with it, crashing to the floor.

"_What are you doing in there, Edward?" Kate hollered from the bathroom._

"_I'm getting my college stuff out. Some of your shoe boxes hit the floor. It's fine." I told her. _

_I turned back to the mess I had made, putting the black stilettos back into their box. I thought it was odd that I'd never seen her wear those. The other one though, had some papers in it, bound by a loose rubber band. I picked them up not really concerned with what it was, until I saw Santa Fe Women's Clinic printed on a pamphlet. I stood up, thumbing through the papers._

"_What the fuck?" I muttered. I heard the bathroom door open and turned to see Kate staring at what I held in my hand._

"_What are you doing?" she snapped. Kate walked to me quickly, grabbing at the stack of papers."Give me those!"_

_Her reaction only spurred me to take a closer look. I turned my back, fending her off. These dates coincided with the miscarriages. But...that didn't make any sense. Kate had never gone to a women's clinic. Her doctor was 2 blocks from her office. This clinic was on the other side of town._

"_What the fuck is this Kate?" I held up the papers. I could see the one on the bottom of the pile. Four months ago. I turned the stack over to look at the pamphlet again. Aftercare. Aftercare for what? I looked up at Kate, who was now seething. _

"_Give that to me. You have no right going through my personal things!" Her hand was held out in front of me, shaking slightly._

"_I think you need to explain this. Now." My tone of voice was enough to let her know I wasn't fucking around. She thought about it for a moment before speaking. She squared her shoulders and held her head high. _

"_I...had an abortion." she blurted. "You know that I am up for partner. I have to be at my best and being pregnant was just, uh, it just wasn't an option." she tried explaining._

_I'm not sure how long I stared at her."You what?" My head started spinning and I sat heavily on the bed. _

"_Oh Edward, don't blow this out of proportion. I've worked very hard to get to where I am. Now that the prize is in sight, I really have to focus on getting there."_

_I couldn't believe what I was hearing. She sounded like she was talking about getting a fucking dog, not being pregnant with my child._

"_How could you do this?" I asked in a daze._

"_Christ, Edward. It's not that big of a deal. I've done it be..." she trailed off, grabbing at the papers again._

"_What?" I said sharply. "You've done this...before?" _

_My eyes searched her face, looking for a trace of the woman I married. I didn't see her. Kate didn't answer me. She flipped her hair, put her hands on her hips and started tapping her foot._

"_Oh my God." I said faintly, as the realization set in. "How many of my children have you killed?" She sighed and shook her head. "Never mind. I don't want to know." I muttered._

_I dropped the stack of papers like they were on fire and got up from the bed. Going back to the closet, I found 2 suitcases and my duffel bag. I didn't even try to fold anything. I grabbed my clothes, hangers and all, and shoved them into the suitcases. I went to my dresser and started emptying drawers until the second case was full. _

"_What are you doing?" Kate asked._

_I couldn't even look at her, let alone answer her. Taking the duffel bag, I went to the bathroom and filled it with my stuff. _

"_I did you a favor, you know?" she yelled. "Think about it, Edward. If I would've kept this last kid, you'd be like, 53 when they graduated! Do you really want to be an old man when your kid is still in high school?" _

"_53 is old?" I muttered._

_I simply had nothing to say to her. I couldn't, even if I tried. I was reeling and the only coherent thought in my mind was that I had to get out of there. She continued yelling, throwing insults at me._

"_You're so goddamned noble aren't you, Edward? You know what else you are? BORING. 'I want a home and a family'." she mocked. "You have no inspiration, Edward! No desire for the finer things in life!" I heard her throwing things around behind me. "You should thank me for being on the pill when we were first married! We wouldn't have been able to take those trips, or go to all those parties at my agency."_

_She was on the fucking pill? No wonder she couldn't get pregnant._

_I nearly tripped over my box of college stuff when I came out of the bathroom. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The stupid bitch had been lying to me since day one. I bent down and picked it up. Somehow I managed to hold it, both suitcases and my duffel. I didn't even know where Kate went. _

_I walked straight to the front door, then to my car, loading it with my belongings. I went back for my phone and laptop, stopping to take a look around. I figured that I'd come back another time for anything else I wanted. I walked out the door, leaving it wide open. I got in my car and drove to a motel._

That was 2 months ago. I filed for divorce and submitted my resignation at the hospital. I had to thank my father for suggesting the pre-nup that I was originally against. I was able to put the house up for sale and auction off the contents, minus our personal possessions. Kate was only to get half of whatever the house sold for and her own shit. After I threatened her with telling everyone what she'd done, she backed off on contesting the divorce. I knew she wouldn't want any negativity about her getting out. God forbid it affect her potential for making partner.

I wanted to change everything about my life, with no reminders of Kate or anything we had together. I was looking through the online real estate section, and saw a horse ranch for sale. That took me immediately back to when I was 15, working at our neighbor's horse farm.

The owner's daughter, Leah, and I were friends and school mates. We had been out riding when her horse got spooked, reared up and threw her. Leah landed against some rocks and ended up with some partial paralysis from the waist down. The memory reminded me of how my career was sparked. Her recovery was long and difficult, but so very rewarding, too.

An idea struck me as I stared at the screen, and at the time it felt like it was life changing. I had given up a dream for Kate and now saw a chance to reclaim it. I switched my search to the Phoenix area and found a small ranch that looked perfect for what I had in mind. I made a phone call to the realtor that held the listing. My next call was to my best friend.

So here I am, driving to Phoenix, trying to reclaim my life. Starting over. Jasper offered me a place to stay until I found my own. I had also taken the time to send out resumes to a couple of facilities and had interviews set up for the following week.

As I drove through the city, I realized that while I was excited, I felt a little numb, too. It's been a long time since I've made decisions based solely on myself. While I wanted to embrace my new found freedom, I was still feeling vulnerable and unsure of myself and just exactly what it was that I was looking for.

I blasted the radio to tune out the thoughts in my head and turned into a quaint subdivision. Kids and dogs ran around in the yards, some parents joining in, others watching. It was like a post card. Except for the stares I got for my loud music. That made me laugh. I hadn't done it in a while and it felt really good.

I pulled in behind Jasper's Jeep and turned the engine off. It felt like such a momentous occasion. I almost expected to hear one of those deep voiced announcers pop up in the back seat.

"Edward Cullen, welcome to the rest of your life," I muttered, laughing quietly.

I stepped out onto the driveway and stretched. It felt so good to get out of the car. It's amazing how tired you get just from driving. I took a quick once over of their brick house. It was neat and well kept, with a couple of raised bed flower gardens. A beautiful wife, three kids, two cars, a nice house...Jasper had found the American dream.

Hearing the creak of a door opening brought me out of my envious haze. I looked up to see Jasper coming out of the house. Alice stood in the doorway, smiling. To the left of her, three little faces peered out the front window.

"You made it." Jasper gave me a full on hug then stepped back to give me a once over. "You look like shit."

"Yeah," I agreed. "I kinda feel like it, too."

Jasper and I became fast friends during our freshman year in college when we were thrown together as roomies. He was the mirror image of me, personality-wise, and somehow, we just clicked.

He was just an inch or two shorter than my 6'2 frame and had dark blonde hair that the ladies seemed to love. While always friendly and fun, he was the quiet one; the observer. I wasn't a hell-raiser by any standard, but made my presence known more than he did. Seems like that was a million years ago.

He and Alice met at a party during our junior year and became inseparable. I was the Best Man at their wedding and attended each of their children's christenings. We had been there for each other for every major milestone. And now, here we were again.

Jasper grabbed my keys and popped the trunk. "Where is everything else?" he asked, only seeing a couple of suitcases, 2 boxes and a large duffel bag.

"That's it." I sighed, picking up a smaller bag from the back seat. "Well, I did ship a few things to a small storage unit, but that is pretty much everything I own."

Two trips and we had everything in the house. Alice and the kids waited in the kitchen doorway for us.

"So, I know we talked about giving you the spare room, but Alice came up with something else."

I followed them into the kitchen where they stopped in front of the basement door.

"I moved the kids' toys to the other side so you could have some privacy." Alice said, as we all followed her down the stairs. The boys each grabbed something and little Gracie started dragging my duffel.

I got to the bottom step and halted. On the far side of the basement, Alice had set up what looked like a regular bedroom with a small sitting area, including a desk. There were curtains attached to the beams in the ceiling, going all the way to the floor. They were held back with ties, but untied, it made my new living space more private. She even had the consideration to have everything in manly browns and blues. I was astounded at her effort.

"A-Alice..." I stumbled. "You really didn't have to go to all this trouble." I was truly grateful. They had only a week's notice, and she had been able to do all this. It had been a long time since someone made an extra effort on my part. I was used to feeling like an afterthought.

"Edward, it wasn't any trouble," she assured me. "We needed to make another spare room because Tim got moved into the one upstairs. The kids each have their own room now." Alice ruffled Grace's hair playfully. "Jasper is going to get a friend of his to wall it in and make it a proper guest room."

"Yeah, Emmett and I are going to do the work on the weekends. We'll wait until you move into your own place, though." Jasper said, clapping me on the shoulder.

"Count me in. I'll help with anything I can." I was already feeling the need to repay them for their kindness.

"Go ahead and get settled. The bathroom is right on the other side of the doorway." Alice pointed. "Dinner will be ready in about an hour." She pulled me into a hug. "It's great to have you here, Edward. Please make yourself welcome in our home," Alice whispered in my ear.

She herded the kids up the stairs, leaving Jasper and I standing in an awkward silence. I found myself at a loss for words.

"I know this is hard for you, with everything that happened, starting over...but Alice is right." Jasper put his hand on my shoulder. "You are welcome here for as long as you need. We'll help you any way we can. I just want to see you happy again."

"Thank you, Jazz. I really can't express my gratitude." I swallowed, finding it harder than expected. "Before we turn into bawling women, I think I'm going to take a shower and wash the road off before dinner." We both laughed.

"Sounds good. I'll see you upstairs." Jasper turned, leaving me on my own.

I leaned my head back, letting the water run over my head and face. I could've been out a lot sooner, but the water felt too good to get out yet. When I finally did, the small bathroom was filled with steam. I wiped off the mirror with a towel and took in my appearance.

I saw laugh lines around my eyes and mouth and a 3 day growth on my face. My eyes looked tired. I ran my fingers through my wet hair and actually found a white one. I was not a vain person, but that white hair was yanked out and the search for more was on. After I was fairly certain it was the only one, I shaved and dressed. I didn't want them waiting dinner on me, especially my first night here.

I got to the top of the stairs and saw Jasper and Alice near the stove, wrapped up in each other. Hearing a couple of soft moans, I looked at the tile under my feet and kept moving. I didn't want to interrupt their private moment. Seeing them like that made my heart hurt. I had wanted that kind of marriage, where you stayed in love and it continued to grow. I'd realized not long after I moved out that I was never _truly_ in love with Kate, and now, I wanted it more than ever.

Love, that is.

I quietly cleared my throat and walked through to the living room. The kids were sprawled out on the floor watching Spongebob. I grabbed up Gracie and held her upside down, tickling her belly. Her squeal could bring dogs to the yard, it was so high pitched.

"Uncul Ehwaaard," she laughed. Grace still hadn't mastered the first d in my name.

"Din-ner." Alice said, loud enough to be heard over Grace.

"Chicken nuggets!" Eric, the 6 year old, yelled. "Mom, you said chicken nuggets for dinner," he complained, as he took his seat.

"She did not, you whiner." Tim was 8 and sounded more like his father every day.

"I made a roast with vegetables, in Uncle Edward's honor. It's his favorite," Alice said proudly, giving me a wink.

"It looks delicious, too. Thank you." I was starting to feel a bit self-conscious with all they had done.

Dishes were passed and food portioned out. Gracie insisted that I cut her meat, which I happily did. I loved these kids as if they were family. Jazz and I may not be blood, but brothers we were.

"Jasper told me you have a new project at the museum. How's it going?" I asked. Alice was the head of the restoration department at the Fine Arts Museum of Phoenix.

"It's great. We're almost ready to open the children's area. There's art specifically chosen to appeal to kids and Bella had the brilliant idea to have some hands on, interactive displays," Alice said, excitedly. Tim nodded in agreement. He must've gone to work with his mom.

"Like what?" I asked.

"There's this one where you can make your own statue," Tim answered, shoving a spoonful of potatoes in his mouth.

"That would be the Clay Station." Alice clarified.

"Sounds cool." I said.

"It is! And you can do your own painting. Any color you want, too." Eric took a big gulp of his milk. "Bella said she'd show me how to make different colors." I smiled at the gap toothed 6 year old.

"What about you, Gracie? What do you like at the museum?" I asked, trying to include her. The boys' boisterousness sometimes overshadowed her.

"I wike the finger painting. Bewwa gave me a speciaw shirt to wear," she informed me.

"This Bella sounds very nice." I observed.

"She is!" Tim and Eric said in unison.

"Bella is the Children's Programs coordinator." Alice explained. "She's a good friend, too. She's even sat with the kid's a couple of times." Alice smiled at her children.

"Bewwa is so fun." Grace said.

"It sounds like it." I said.

I helped with the clean up until Alice shooed me away. It wasn't too awfully late, but I had been on the road all day and was beat. I thanked Jasper and Alice again and went down stairs to call it a night.

As I laid in bed, I started ticking off a mental list of the things I had to do. I had interviews starting on Monday and needed to familiarize myself with my new city. I wanted to drive out and take a look at the farm, too. I rolled to my stomach, one arm over and one under my pillow and fell into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning, being a Friday, was a madhouse at the Whitlock's. The kids were in various states of undress and between Alice and Jasper, they were trying to get them to the table for breakfast. I saw Gracie struggling with her shirt, so I stepped in and offered her a hand.

"Here, honey." I pulled the sleeve off her head, righting the shirt so her head could go through the proper opening. "That's better. Now we can see your pretty face." I told her when her head popped through. I helped her get her arm in and straightened her top.

"Fank you Uncul Ehward." Gracie wrapped her little arms around my neck. I stood, holding her and walked to the table.

"Where do you want this one?" I asked, giving her ribs a poke.

"That's my seat," she pointed. I plopped her down and leaned against the kitchen island. I could see these kids were a handful, but what a joy they were, too.

Tim had a Diamondbacks cap on, while Eric was wearing the team's t-shirt. They were both noisily inhaling their cereal, when not taunting each other and their sister.

"Are you going to be alright today?" Jasper asked, putting on his suit jacket. "I know you told me not to take it off, but, I could make it a short day?" he offered.

"Absolutely not." I shook my head. "I'm a big boy armed with a GPS. If I get lost, I'll give you a call." I laughed. "Besides, it's not like I haven't been here before."

"True, but that was as a visitor." he pointed out.

"I'll be fine. I'm going to finish unpacking then drive out to the farm." I said.

"My number is next to the phone, if you need anything." Alice said, handing me a cup of coffee. "Tonight is pizza night, and we should all be home around 6." Alice smiled.

"Great...make sure you get them loaded with anchovies and onions," I said loudly, eyeing the kids for their reaction. Sure enough, the boys made gagging noises and started complaining. Gracie saw her brothers, and joined them. I had a good belly laugh over that.

"Uncle Edward is kidding," Jasper told them, laughing along with me. "He doesn't really like anchovies and onions on his pizza." Jazz got a serious look on his face, "He likes broccoli and cauliflower on it."

The boys stopped their commotion and looked back and forth between their father and myself. "Really?" Tim gulped. I couldn't take it anymore and started laughing again.

"You're silly, Uncul Ehward." Gracie told me.

"Yeah, I guess I am, sweetie." I confessed.

Within 5 minutes, Alice had the boys in her car headed for the school and Jazz had Grace to drop her at daycare. The house was oddly silent and while I normally found some comfort in silence, this just felt empty.

I went back to the basement and finished unpacking. Alice had a chest of drawers and a dowel rod up for my hanging clothes. I placed my laptop on the desk and turned it on. I dug out my phone charger and set it on the bedside table. It wouldn't do me a whole hell of a lot of good to go out and have a dead phone.

I located a map of the area and found a grocery store. I'd take Jazz and Alice's hospitality only so far. I planned on getting a few things for 'pizza night', along with some minor necessities for myself. Pulling on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, I figured I was ready to go exploring.

My realtor called as I was walking out the door, wanting to meet with me at his office. I put his address into the GPS and headed out the driveway.

He was a rotund man in his fifties, red faced and had a comb-over. With his brown polyester suit, he looked like he came right out of the '70's.

"Nice to finally meet you, Mr. Cullen." he said. "Have a seat."

Mr. Estrada, no relation to Erik, told me that some special circumstances had come up. The owner now wanted to be a silent partner in the property. She was willing to take on someone who wanted to work with the horses, but didn't want to sell out completely.

I thought about it for a minute before answering. It was unusual, but it wouldn't hurt to take a closer look. "I'd be willing to entertain the idea, but I'd like to see it before I make up my mind. Not to mention, meet the current owner. I have a few questions on how she sees this working out." Once I could talk to this woman, I was sure I could convince her to sell it to me outright.

I stopped for some lunch at a homey looking diner after I left his office, and got my order to go. As I drove out of the city, I took in the sights and landmarks. There was a nice park with a pond. College kids were strewn across the grass, older folks were sitting on the benches and moms were playing with their toddlers. Across from the park was the museum where Alice worked. All the times I had been to Phoenix to visit, I had only been to the museum once. I'd have to rectify that, now that I'm living here.

It wasn't a long drive to the property. Within 10 minutes, the city suddenly ended and I was in the desert. It wasn't all sand and scrub, like some people think. There were trees and some of the yards had sod down. I followed the directions Mr. Estrada gave me and parked on the side of the road.

The house was barely visible through the trees and sat back off the road a ways. The fencing came up close to the road, though. I had parked under a large shade tree and opened all my windows. I didn't see anyone around in any direction. I ate half my sandwich while I surveyed the area. A large, black gelding came into view. He saw me, too and started making his way over to investigate. I talked to him through the open window until a large pickup truck passed me and pulled into the driveway. I probably looked suspicious sitting there and I didn't want to meet the Phoenix police my first day, so I left, heading back to the city.

I finished my lunch on the way and found the grocery store. By the time I made it to the checkout, I realized that I might have gone a little overboard. I had soda and beer, chips and cookies, along with some toiletries I needed.

I made it back to the house before anyone was home, and stashed the junk food. I figured I would hear something from Alice about all this, but I had to make a contribution. I went down to my room and changed. Dressed in nothing but my shorts and t-shirt, I went back up to wait for everyone to get home. I found that I was actually excited about this little shindig. Something about the camaraderie of family, the infectious laughter of the kids and being with people who loved me, had me looking forward to the night.

I had just started getting into a war documentary, when I heard Gracie's squeal. I turned the TV off and got up to meet them. Alice and all three kids came busting through the door, laughing and carrying on. I took the pizza's from Alice and set them on the dining room table.

"Go wash up!" Alice hollered at the kids, who had made a bee line to the table. She laughed as they ran down the hall to the bathroom. "Kids..." Alice warned.

"I bought some soda and put it in the fridge." I told her.

"I hope it's caffeine free, or YOU will be staying up with them!" Alice threatened with a smile.

"I didn't even think of that." I smacked my forehead. "Let me check before they find out it's in there." I went into the kitchen and took a look at what I bought. Root beer, no caffeine. _Whew._ I walked back out to the dining room and stopped in my tracks. Standing next to Alice was the most gorgeous looking creature I had ever laid eyes on.

She had long, wavy brown hair, sparkling eyes, a beautiful smile and what looked like the world's best fitting, most perfect jeans. I had lost the ability to speak and quietly tried to back silently out of the room. Thanks to Alice, that didn't happen.

"Edward, I'd like you to meet Bella." Alice smiled impishly. "Bella, this is Edward, our house guest."

* * *

**A/N: Posting will be Thursdays. I hope you liked it. Let me know what you think about Edward.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Still with me? I forgot to mention at the end of Ch 1: The lyrics quoted at the beginning of the previous chapter -*Walk by The Foo Fighters - the inspiration for this fic. **

**Also: This is an M rated fic for all the usual reasons. **

**The same disclaimer applies throughout the story-everyone knows that SM owns these characters.**

**Edward is kinda going to make an ass of himself in this chapter *cough* and future chapters... Hey, he's been through a lot! Cut him some slack ;)**

* * *

Walk

Chapter 2

I stood there, staring like a fool. Eric brushed past me on his way to the kitchen, which seemed to bring me to my senses.

"Nice to meet you," I nodded towards Bella.

"You, as well. I've heard a lot about you. It's nice to put a face to the stories." Bella smiled. She grabbed up Gracie when she made an appearance, and they disappeared into the living room.

Suddenly, I realized what I was wearing. Baggy sweat-shorts was not an impression I wanted to make on anyone outside the family. I got to the basement door, and found Jasper lying in wait for me. Or rather, leaning, against the door frame...smirking.

"What's wrong?" he asked with a smile.

"I didn't know you were having company. I thought I'd change." I said, clearing my throat.

"We are?" Jasper looked over my shoulder towards the living room. "Who's here?"

"Yeah...uh, Bella is here." I answered uncomfortably.

"Oh. Bella isn't company. She's practically family. You look fine." he said matter-of-factly.

"I don't feel fine. I need to change." I pushed past him, ran down the stairs and put my jeans back on. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to tame it a little. I had second thoughts and messed it back up. "Fuck it." I muttered, then went back upstairs.

I stopped at the fridge and grabbed a beer before joining everyone in the living room. Jasper and Alice were sitting on the couch. The kids and Bella were all on the floor lying on their stomachs. My eyes zeroed in on Bella's ass.

_When did I turn into a perv?_

I took a seat in a chair across from Jazz and Alice, putting the crew on the floor in between us. I stared at the TV and drank my beer. The kids were watching a movie about animated fish.

I decided that I was being an idiot and got up for some pizza. I could only blame my reaction on this being the first time I had felt a physical attraction to a woman since I filed for divorce. I needed to get it under control and not come off like some awkward teenager. _Christ_.

After my mental chastising, I settled in and watched the movie. I found out from Gracie that it was 'Finding Nemo' and it wasn't too bad, for a kid's movie. When it was over, Alice told the kids to start getting ready for bed.

"Uncul Ehward, will you read to me tonight?" Gracie asked. I looked to her parents, not sure if it was okay. Alice nodded.

"Sure, honey. Get ready and I'll be there in a few minutes." I told the smiling little face.

"I want Bella to read to me!" Eric demanded. Bella rolled to her back and stretched, her shirt lifting up slightly, giving me a peek at her creamy white skin. _Gulp_.

"I'm so tired, Eric..." she said, yawning dramatically. "I don't know if I can." Eric laughed, seeing right through her.

"Bel-la..." he whined.

"Sure kid, I'll be right in. Go brush your teeth, though. I don't want any pizza breath kisses from you!" Bella swatted playfully at Eric's behind.

It took me a moment to realize that I was staring. Clearing my throat, I looked at Alice.

"Is there anything off limits for bedtime reading?" I asked. I didn't want to be responsible for Gracie waking up screaming during the night.

"She has a book case full of books. Anything in there is fine, but she'll pick the story she wants." Alice smiled. I heard Bella giggle and saw Jasper nudge her with his foot.

Bella lifted her head, smiling up at me from the floor. Her lips were the color of juicy red strawberries. When she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, a groan rumbled in my chest. I quickly cleared my throat and excused myself to the hallway, trying desperately to ignore the physical response my body was having. The timing was perfect, because I met Gracie coming out of the bathroom.

"Weady?" she asked, grabbing my hand. Gracie gave me no time to respond as she pulled me into her room. It was bright. Really bright. It looked like a gallon of Pepto Bismol had erupted...everywhere.

"Do you wike my room, Uncul Ehward?" Gracie asked. Her dark curls framed her angelic face as she tugged at my hand.

"I love it." I said, gently ruffling her hair. "What are we reading tonight?"

Gracie marched over to her bookcase and picked a book. She tossed it on her pink bed then went to the pink toy box and rummaged through it for a couple of minutes. Gracie stood up proudly holding what looked like a wand and tiara.

"What's that for? We're going to bed, not playing, Grace." I told her.

"It's for you." she shoved the items towards me and climbed in bed.

"For me?" I was thoroughly confused.

"You have to put on the cwown and hold the skeptor." Gracie insisted. _Huh?_

"OH!" she yelped and jumped out of bed, scrambling inside her closet. She came out dragging a feather boa. Grace wound it around my neck and got back under the covers.

"Is there anything else?" I asked, unamused. This must be what the snickering was about in the living room.

Come to find out, I had to read in character. About Princess Barbie.

After 15 minutes of Gracie schooling me in how to speak princess, she had fallen asleep. I put the book back and tossed the princess gear into her toy box.

I followed the voices to the foyer and saw that Bella was about to leave. I watched as she leaned forward, extending her hand towards me.

_Wha...is she going to touch me? _I started to freak out a little.

"Ow." I said, reaching up to rub the spot where a hair had just been attached to my head. "What did you do that for?" I asked Bella.

She grinned impishly at me, and held up a pink feather. I watched as she twirled it between her fingers.

"Oh," I laughed.

"Princess Barbie." the three of them said in unison.

"You knew what I was getting myself into, and none of you warned me?" I said, feigning hurt feelings. Jasper shook his head and laughed. Bella looked at me in a way that made me feel nervous again. I coughed lightly and mumbled a 'thanks' to them.

"See you later, Bella." Jasper said, walking off towards the kitchen.

"Bye guys." she hugged Alice goodbye. "Oh, Edward," Bella said, walking backwards off the porch, "it was nice meeting you. Take care of that cold." Then she was gone.

"Cold?" I looked at Alice quizzically.

"You did a lot of coughing and clearing your throat tonight. Are you feeling alright?" Alice narrowed her eyes, as a smile started curling the corner of her lips.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I ran a hand through my hair and said goodnight to Jasper and Alice.

_I'm such an ass._

The following week passed by in a blur. I had an interview at The Rehab Center, and told them up front about my plans for the horse farm. The director was very interested in it and even suggested a partnership of sorts if I followed through on it. I interviewed at a hospital mid week and after the woman made a few suggestive remarks, I decided that I would cross that place off the list. I had enough going on in my life. I didn't need to add sexual harassment to the mix.

I had left a message for Mr. Estrada regarding a meeting with the owner of the property, and was still waiting to hear back from him. I was beginning to wonder if someone else had beat me to it.

The other thing that consumed my thoughts, hard as I tried to discourage it, was Bella. I saw her twinkling eyes and red, pouty lips whenever I let my mind wander. I found it...or rather, _her_, disconcerting. The last time I felt this way was on prom night. Nervous, giddy and scared shitless. All I was doing was thinking about her. We'd only met once, for Christ's sake. Who the hell was this girl to make me feel like that?

I heard an unfamiliar voice as I climbed the stairs to the kitchen. As I walked through the doorway, all three kids ran towards me, seeking asylum.

"Help!" Eric screeched.

"Hide us!" yelled Tim.

"Up!" Gracie demanded.

I picked up Grace and saw what the problem was. A very large man was chasing them, hands outstretched and snarling...and headed straight for me.

"Uncle Emmy!" Gracie cried, as he started tickling her ribs.

"Hi. You must be Edward." he said, abruptly stopping his assault on Gracie. I adjusted the giggling girl in my arms and took his outstretched hand. "I'm Emmett. Emmett McCarty."

"Nice to meet you." I offered. The boys took the opportunity to run and hide somewhere else. I put Gracie down when Emmett took off after them.

"Does he do that a lot?" I asked Grace. She nodded, brushing her hair from her face.

"He's a wot of fun." she said with a goofy grin.

I helped myself to some coffee and sat down to look at the newspaper someone had left. The kids and Emmett ran through the kitchen a couple more times while I was reading the sports section. I got up to refill my coffee and find a pen. The housing section was next. I wasn't resigned to give up on the property, but it didn't hurt to look, right?

"You don't want to live there." Emmett sat heavily in the chair opposite me. I looked up at him, eyebrows raised. "Nothing but geezers there." He looked back at the paper. "Now this place," he tapped on a picture that had a pool surrounded by young, bikini clad women. "is where you want to be."

"Why is that?" I asked dryly.

"You're a single, good looking guy. Lots of single ladies live there." Emmett's brows danced up and down.

"That's the last thing I need right now." I mumbled quietly. "I am not looking for a woman." I told him.

"A little gun shy, huh?" he laughed.

"You have no idea." I stated flatly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Ed." Emmett said.

"Guess you had to be there." I answered cryptically. "I'm _really_ not interested in meeting women, _Em_." I repeated.

"Dude." he said quite seriously. "You'd rather have a bunch of senior citizens as neighbors?"

"Well, no." I admitted. "Besides, I'm not actually looking for a place. I have an iron in the fire and am waiting to hear something about it. I'm just looking to see what's out there." I explained.

Emmett stared at me for a moment, then grabbed the pen and paper from me. He searched the page, then started circling ads. "Well, if it falls through, these are the places you should check out." he said, pushing the paper back towards me. "I think most are exactly what you're looking for."

I wasn't too sure that I could trust this guy to know what _I_ wanted, but thanked him anyway.

"Sure thing, Ed." I smiled through my wince. I _really_ hated to be called 'Ed'. "Hey," he said as I was getting up. "my wife throws Sheer Romance parties and she is having one tonight."

I couldn't stop my mouth from falling open. Why would I want to know that? Can you say _too much information_?

"Uh...I don't think..." I stammered.

"What?" Emmett looked confused. "Oh! No man, I wasn't inviting you." he said, realizing what he had implied. "I stay far away from the house when those are going on. I mean, I reap the benefits, but want nothing to do with the process, if you know what I mean." I cringed a little as he waggled those eyebrows again. "What I was getting at was, I was gonna see if Jasper wanted to hang out. Wanna come?"

"Sure, why not? What did you have in mind?" I realized too late that I had accepted too quickly. I hoped he wasn't into monster truck pulls or midget wrestling.

A few hours later, I was in Emmett's truck, riding out to the desert. Jasper was in the back seat serenading us along to the radio. I was feeling decidedly out of my element. While I was never one to hang with the elite of Santa Fe, none of my friends were what you'd call _rugged_. Thinking about it for a moment, I realized that most of my friends, were actually _Kate's_ friends. Great.

I watched as a few miles of desert passed by my window and decided that I ought to start embracing my new life, whatever it was.

"Where are we going?" I asked, taking a gulp from my water bottle.

"Here." Emmett said, as he pulled off the road. Dust plumed around us and I waited for it to settle before opening the door.

"There's nothing out here." I said, taking a look around. All I saw was scrubby desert and some mountains a few miles off.

"Ed!" Emmett yelled. Jasper laughed, hearing him call me by the abbreviated name he knew I hated. "Give a hand, man!"

I turned to see Emmett pulling a couple of rifles out from behind the seat. Jasper had jumped in the bed of the truck and was setting up a skeet launcher. Emmett noticed the concern on my face.

"Skeet, dude. We're not going to shoot at you." he laughed. "You've never done this?"

"Yeah, it's just been a while." I confessed. I hadn't shot a rifle, or skeet, in years. There were lots of things I hadn't done in a while. Things I had given up because of Kate.

Turns out, it didn't take long for me to pick it back up again. I impressed Jasper and Emmett, anyway. By the time we were packing it up, any misgivings I'd had about Emmett were gone. This was a guy who didn't pull any punches or have a hidden agenda. He was just rough around the edges, and once I started to get to know him, I could see us being friends. I should've given him the benefit of the doubt, anyway, seeing Jasper considered him a friend. Given all that, when Emmett suggested stopping by a bar before going home, I readily agreed. The thought of a couple cold ones to wash away the dust sounded great.

It was late afternoon when we pulled into this place that looked like it _had_ been a bar, once upon a time. The wooden exterior was worn and weathered. The hand painted sign above the door was almost too faded to read. There were a few cars in the dirt parking lot, though, so that gave me some hope.

It took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust to the darkened interior of Mel's. It didn't look as rundown as the outside had, another good thing. We found a table and the waitress didn't waste any time getting over to us.

"Three beers, 3 shots." Jasper ordered for us all.

"Sure thing, darlin'" she smiled. I snorted and rolled my eyes.

"So, Ed. What is up with your aversion to the gentler sex?" Emmett asked boldly. "I mean, I know you're going through a divorce, but...you seem to have a grudge against women in general."

"Gentler sex, my ass." I scoffed.

I looked at Jasper, who had the decency to look uncomfortable. It wasn't a secret, and it didn't bother me that he had obviously talked about it. But, it left me in the position of having to explain. The thing is, I didn't feel like explaining. I waited for the waitress to leave, after bringing our drinks, before starting.

"I've found out that women and trustworthiness don't go hand in hand." I drank the shot, hoping it would burn away the memories that were surfacing. "They only tell you what you want to hear." I informed him.

Emmett looked at me like he was trying to figure out a complex math problem. "Dude, what the fuck happened to you?"

"I really don't want to go into the details, Emmett." I sighed, lifting the beer bottle to my lips.

"Let it go, Em." Jasper advised.

"Alright, I won't push for details, but I think what you just said, is wrong." It was my turn to look confused.

"And why is that, Dr. McCarty?" I snapped. I thought this guy was a builder, not a psychologist.

"You just grouped ALL women into that statement_. _Not all women are out to screw you over. I know a lot of great women." he said.

"Wait til your wife hears that." I muttered.

"My wife is one of them." he defended. "Her mother, my mother, Alice, Bella; they're all great. You need to get back out there, give it another chance." His face broke into a grin. "Women are awesome."

I got the waitress' attention and held up my empty shot glass. I knew Emmett was right. Well, maybe not the awesome part. But, I wasn't ready to try to find a woman I could put my trust in.

Jasper and Emmett were lost in a debate about the starting line up of the Diamondbacks, so I sat back in the chair, nursed my beer and looked around the bar. It was your standard hang out. Juke box, darts, a couple of beat up pool tables and even a mechanical bull tucked away in the corner. The place had sawdust on the floor and a wall where people left witty remarks in indelible ink. I hadn't been to a place like this in years.

I was trying to figure out the last time I had gone to my favorite bar, when I noticed someone standing right in front of me. I looked up and all I saw was long brown hair framing a face. There was a light right behind them obscuring my view.

"Hi, Edward." the voice said. When she said my name, it made my skin tingle. "Hey Jazz, Em." she said. A chair scraped across the floor, and I could feel the energy between us. I shrugged it off and sat back up to the table, now clearly able to see her face. Though, as soon as she spoke, I knew who it was.

Bella.

"Hey Bells. Where's Jake?" Emmett leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"He's working." she answered. "Jake's an artist," Bella explained. "He has a gallery showing in a few weeks."

_Who the hell is Jake, and why should I care?_

"Get your ass up, Emmett. It's time I whooped you at the dart board again." Jasper cackled.

I watched them walk away and turned my attention to Bella. I was taken aback by how young she looked. I hadn't noticed the night we met. "Are you even old enough to be in here?" I asked. I had known she was younger, but seeing her again, she looked _really_ young.

"Excuse me?" Bella bit. "I'm 23." My question clearly annoyed her.

"My apologies. Let me buy you a drink to make up for my rudeness." I said stiffly. I suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable.

"I don't need you to buy my drinks," she huffed.

"I didn't say that you did. I was only trying to be nice." I tried to smile, but I think it came out as more of a grimace.

We sat in an uncomfortable silence while we waited on the beer we ordered. I looked everywhere but at her while she strummed her fingers on the table.

"Would you please stop that?" I asked. Kate used to tap her foot a lot, and it sounded too much like what Bella was doing.

Bella had the audacity to laugh at me. "You do have some issues, don't you, Edward?"

"Everyone has issues. Maybe you're just too young to know that yet." I snipped at her. It was uncalled for, but with the images of Kate swirling in my head and the tension I felt with Bella, I couldn't help it.

"Why are you so hung up on my age?" she said incredulously.

"You're young, Bella. You have a lot to learn." This kid had no idea how life can turn on you, biting you square in the ass. Multiple times over, usually.

"I may be young, but I do know a thing or two about life." she contended.

"What could you possibly know at 23?" I knew I wasn't being fair. I didn't know her or anything about her life. I was getting pissed though and couldn't stop the rage I was feeling. It had nothing to do with her, really. This was all Kate.

Bella stared at me for a minute, then upended her beer and drained it. She slammed it down on the table and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I know about loss and disappointment, death and injustice." Her face turned to steel. "You'd be surprised at what I know." With that, she got up and left. The hurt look in her eyes when she spoke made me feel like I'd been slapped across the face. At the same time, though, all I could think about was the smell of her hair when she moved it behind her shoulder.

"What the hell did you say to Bella?" Jasper asked, plopping into his chair.

"I may have offended her." I admitted.

"Dude, you need to pull your head out of your ass. Bella is the least offendable person I know." Emmett shook his head. "You need to think about getting back out on the market. You're wound too tight." he observed.

_Ya think?_

"My divorce isn't even final." I informed him.

"So? It's practically a done deal, right?" Emmett looked at Jasper, who nodded in agreement.

"I have some things to do before I even think about dating."

Dating. The thought scared the shit out of me. I hadn't dated in 7 years. I thought my dating days were over. Fuck.

"I'd like to get settled here and see if I can't make a go of that horse farm before I jump into that." I told him, effectively ending the conversation.

Emmett dropped us off at home when he was sure his wife's party was over. I waved off dinner and went downstairs to shower and go to bed. I laid there thinking about the things I let Kate take away from me. I did two of them today. Maybe it was time that I started doing all the things I wanted to again. I needed to stop letting Kate rule my life.

I woke up in the middle of the night, my heart racing, sweat on my brow. I'd been dreaming of babies. The stress and heaviness of the last few months crashed into me and I laid there, bawling my eyes out.

I'd have children by now if it wasn't for Kate and her selfish, horrendous actions. I cried for the babies I lost, and the betrayal and the cruelness on the part of Kate. I hated her for what she had done, and I hated myself for believing in her.

The normal noises of the morning woke me around 9. I had a splitting headache that I was sure came from my 2am cry-like-a-bitch-fest. The drinking hadn't helped, either. I found some aspirin in my duffel and turned on the shower as hot as I could stand it. The steam helped clear my head, so when I joined everyone upstairs, I was feeling mostly human again.

Jasper was sitting at the table, Alice in his lap. Her arms were around his shoulders and they were whispering to each other. It actually annoyed me to see them like that this morning. I grabbed some coffee and wracked my brain for a way to get out of there.

"Jasper, you have a bike, don't you?" I asked when they had parted. Biking was something else I stopped doing. Kate hated the thought of her friends seeing me out riding. She never did explain that to me. It sounded like a great idea all of a sudden. The fresh air would help get my head on straight.

Jasper pulled himself away from his wife. "Yeah, why? You want to take it out?"

"I do, if you don't mind."

"Sure. It's hanging in the garage. The tires might need some air, I haven't ridden it in a while."

I changed into shorts and a sleeveless shirt, grabbed my phone and some water and headed out to the garage. I dug out Jasper's bike and pumped up both tires. I really had no idea where I was going, I just rode.

I wasn't an inactive guy. I worked out, mostly alongside the kids I was working with. Since I hadn't been working in a several weeks, I was a little out of it. I could feel the burn in my thighs, but it felt good.

I ended up on a the secluded stretch of road where the farm was and decided to stop and rest. I said hello to the few horses that were grazing in the field. Pulling my shirt off to wipe at the sweat on my face, I sat back against the tree, and enjoyed a reprieve from the sun. The same horse from the other day came over and stuck his head through the fence.

He whinnied at me, then snorted, so I leaned forward and scratched his nose. We had a nice, one sided conversation before he abruptly turned and sauntered back to where he'd come from.

"That was amazing." I jumped out of my skin, not having heard anyone approach. I turned to see Bella sitting high above me on a beautiful leopard Appaloosa.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I said in surprise. Bella's hair was in a high pony tail. She had on a close fitting scoop necked t-shirt and riding pants. She looked very...appealing.

"Hello to you, too, Edward." she laughed.

"Oh, yeah." I said, realizing my rudeness. "Hi, Bella." I cleared my throat to hide my embarrassment.

"I live here." she said.

What's the British phrase? _Gobsmacked._ Yup. That's what I was.

Trying to hide my surprise, I smirked and looked above me into the tree. "Right here?" I asked.

"No, smartass. The house is back there, behind the trees." she pointed over my shoulder.

"These are your horses?"

"A few are, yes. The rest board here." Bella had a blank stare on her face.

"I thought Alice told me you worked at the museum." I said, trying to move the conversation along.

"I do. It's my day off." she smirked.

"Seems like you have a lot on your plate." I observed.

"I'm young, remember? I can handle it."

_Ouch_.

"I guess I deserved that." Last night was clearly still in Bella's mind, and I had treated her badly. Maybe one day I'll have the chance to explain that my behavior had nothing to do with her.

"Yes. You did." she agreed. "So what are _you_ doing out here?"

"I just jumped on the bike, and this is where I ended up." I took drink of water. "What was so amazing, by the way?"

"Huh?" Bella's nose crinkled up in confusion. It was adorable. "Oh, the horse." she smiled. "Zeus doesn't usually get that close to strangers."

"I used to ride a lot. I've an affinity with horses." I admitted.

"Used to?" Bella asked. I only nodded. "Well, you can come out here sometime, if you want. A lot of the clients don't get out here much. The horses can use the exercise."

"Didn't I see a 'for sale' sign?" I asked, subtly looking for information.

"Yes, you did." she sighed. "I'm going to be meeting a prospective buyer this week." Bella leaned down to pat her horse's neck. "I'm looking for a partner." she said cryptically.

"I hope it works out for you." I probably should have confessed it all to her, at this point, but for some reason, I held back. This woman had me unbalanced and I didn't know how she'd respond. I hadn't made a great impression on her.

"Thanks." she replied with a tight smile.

"Thank YOU," I said, standing. "If I take you up on the riding, I promise to try and keep my foot out of my mouth." It was a lame, half assed attempt at an apology, but...it was worth a shot.

"Hey, we all have our moments." she shrugged. Bella's mount was getting restless and she looked like she was becoming uncomfortable. "I'm going to get moving. It was nice running into you again, Edward."

"You, too." I said, as she and her horse trotted off. I can't be sure, but I think she looked back over her shoulder a couple times, smiling.

The ride took some of the pissiness out of me, as I had hoped. I got back to the house and checked my email. There was a message from Mr. Estrada about the meeting with Bella. In it, he said that she was concerned about why I was interested and what my intentions were. He suggested that I write something up for our meeting.

Part of me understood that and could see the logic in it, but another part didn't. The asshole was rearing his ugly head again. She should just be happy that someone wanted to go in on her 'deal' with her. Not many people would even be interested in that kind of thing.

I sucked it up and wrote up what my idea was for the property. I mentioned my degree and experience, as well as noting other facilities like what I envisioned this one to be. I added links to some of them, so she could check them out if she wanted. Finally, I added that I would like to actually live there, as well. Estrada had mentioned that there was a smaller house on the property.

I had an idea to make a bunk house sometime in the future, to have a place for kids to stay on for a longer time period, like a camp experience. I decided not to add that, thinking it might scare her off. I could leave that for when, and if, my offer was accepted by her holiness.

I heard a soft knock come from the top of the stairs, so I sent the email and closed my laptop.

"Yeah?" I responded. I looked up and saw all three kids standing there. "What's up guys?" I asked.

"Will you play with us?" they asked in unison. I couldn't help the smile that appeared on my face. Maybe this was exactly what I needed.

"Sure. Let me get changed, and I'll be right up." Seeing those happy little faces immediately lightened my mood.

* * *

**A/N: FYI: Jasper and Alice's kids won't make many appearances in this story. js for those of you who don't like the 'kid speak'. And, this isn't one of those daddy kink fics either, despite the age difference. (12 years) well, there might be a little, down the line... So, what did you think? Lots going on here, but the drama will be minimal. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Ya'll are getting a treat with today's postings. My normal post day will be Thursdays, and since this fic was already 2 chapters in on other sites, I'm just getting it caught up with them. **

**I am completely floored by the response this has gotten so quickly. You guys rock! We're going to hear from Bella in this chapter. Thanks for reading! **

* * *

Walk

Chapter 3

BPOV

I found Edward attractive before I even met him.

Day after day I heard how wonderful he was with the kids he worked with, and that in general, he was a great guy. I had also heard about how appalling his wife was. Apparently, she was putting him through some shit. I assumed it was cheating, seeing that is a common reason for divorce. I didn't get much in the way of details, though. Alice respected her husband's best friend too much to gossip about it. Reprehensible, is the word Alice used to describe the situation and now, he's here in Phoenix to piece his life back together.

So, when Alice casually invited me over for pizza and movie night, I jumped at the chance to meet him. I wasn't in fangirl mode or anything. I just wanted to see if he lived up to all of the hype.

And did he ever.

I tried on my best nonchalance when I saw him the first time. His dark auburn hair was slightly mussed. Not too short, not too long. Absolutely perfect for running my fingers through. He was wearing a simple pair of red sweat shorts and a plain white t-shirt that stretched tight across his broad shoulders. He obviously wasn't one of those preppy guys who cared more about fashion than a lot of women did. It was actually quite refreshing.

I looked down at Gracie when she approached me and saw that his feet were bare. I've never thought of men's feet as sexy. In fact, a lot of guys had troll feet. But Edward? Nuh-uh. Sexy.

Before I made an ass of myself, I scooped Gracie up and danced her into the living room.

To say that I wasn't disappointed when Edward finally joined us, would be a lie. I mean, sure, he looked positively edible in his new ensemble. The faded denim looked as if they had been tailored just for him; they rode low on his hips and clung to his muscled legs. But, I think it's fairly obvious that his wardrobe change was meant to discourage me from eye fucking him any further.

_Awesome, Bella_. _Way to play it cool._

While trying to be subtle, it's apparent that I was as obvious as a bull in a china shop.

With a sigh of disappointment, I turned my attention back to the kids and the movie. All the while, attempting to pretend that Adonis himself wasn't sitting across the room from me, completely oblivious to my existence.

Two hours, and way too many talking clown fish and Dori impressions later, the movie finally ended. While I love laying on the floor and interacting with the kids, it was hell on my back. I rolled over to stretch, feeling every bone in my spine snap, crackle and pop just like the cereal, and found Mr. Beautiful staring down at me like he was repulsed by the sounds my stretch created.

_Sorry Mr. Perfect, not all of us can be super buff and sculpted._

I wasn't an unfit person. My body was taut, fit and firm. Years of working on my grandfather's farm, insured that. But, it wasn't obvious, either. My arms were toned, just not bulging, like the man currently trying to control his gag reflex with a poorly masked coughing fit.

I didn't realize I was that hideous. Way to make a girl feel good about herself.

I turned my attention to Alice when she asked me about a work situation. She's a lifesaver! I heard Gracie as she succeeded in conning Edward into reading to her. Poor guy. He had no idea. I turned my head to watch him walk out of the room.

_I bet he had no idea what a fine ass he had, either._

After I read to Eric, I gathered my things and readied myself to leave. I was stalling a bit, but trying not to be too obvious about it. For one, I wanted to see how Edward weathered the princess thing. Second, I just wanted to see him again.

I couldn't stand around any longer without raising suspicion, so I walked to the door. Edward came out to join us just as my hand hit the door knob. When I saw the pink feather in his hair, I couldn't resist grabbing it.

I put it in the pocket of my jacket. Like I was 15 again._ Christ, Bella, what are you going to do? Scrapbook it?_

Edward was completely adorable when he complained about no one giving him a warning beforehand, but entering his personal space like I did, was the wrong move. He flinched, and started clearing his throat again. I definitely got the impression that I had crossed a line.

I drove home, berating myself the whole way. I had embarrassed myself and now felt like an ass, again. When the hell did I become so clueless?

"Look what the cat dragged in."

Charming. My room mate and best friend sugar coated nothing when it came to me or my appearance.

"Jake, I've been up since six o'clock this morning." I defended. I dropped my bag on the counter and my leather jacket on the chair.

"I know that. And you just had a night with the rug rats. Sorry I couldn't make it." he snapped his gum. "What was tonight's cinematic masterpiece?"

"Finding Nemo."

"I love that movie." he pouted.

I was looking through the pile of mail when I felt Jake's dark eyes on me. I looked up and saw him scrutinizing me.

"What?" I smacked him with the envelopes before dropping them on the counter.

"You look vexed. What happened today?" There wasn't much I could hide from Jake. We'd known each other since grade school and had been best friends for almost as long.

"Nothing. It was a normal work day. The computers came in for the collage station, so I spent the day testing the program for it."

"Uh-huh. What about tonight?" he asked, sensing I wasn't giving him the entire story.

"It was movie and pizza night." I shrugged. "You've been there." I wasn't trying to be purposely evasive.

"And you met J's friend?" he pushed further, nodding his head for me to continue.

"Yes. His name is Edward." I said without meeting Jake's eyes. "Seems like a nice enough guy." I said casually.

I felt protective of Edward, and the odd feelings I was having towards him. Besides, I had made a fool of myself and I didn't feel like sharing that particular tidbit with anyone, let alone Jake.

"Okay, you don't want to discuss it." he sighed. "Fine, I won't push you." he said. "I'm going to get back to work for a couple more hours. You know where to find me." Jake kissed the top of my head. I listened to his heavy steps on the stairs as he headed towards the attic.

When I inherited this place from my grandfather, the attic had been filled to the rafters with junk. Jake and I sifted through it all, saving some treasures, and pitching the rest. The light that came in the windows made it a perfect space for his studio. I didn't fight him on it. I'd only have used it for storage, and Jake's happiness was more important to me.

Jake and I had been through a lot together. He was there when my life turned into a living hell. And I was his rock when he came out to his parents, and his father basically disowned him, and again later when they ended up going through a divorce. He only had his mom and me for the past few years, and just like then, we are almost inseparable. There isn't much that I wouldn't do for Jake, and him for me. Of that I was sure.

I picked up the stack of mail again, which was mostly bills. I had a vision early on when I got this place, that I wanted it to be more than just my home. I thought of offering riding to the public, or guided tours of the nearby mountains. I even considered getting more animals and opening a petting zoo. It sounds easy enough, but when I analyzed what it involved, there was no way. The vet bills and animal specialists that it would require to run such a business, would take quite a few pretty pennies. Pennies that frankly, I didn't have to gamble with.

Even taking on a few boarders, I was having a hard time keeping up with the costs this place generated. Which is why I made the decision to try to take on a partner. Jake convinced me that it was possible. Just put feelers out as to what I wanted, and see what kind of offers came in. So far, every interested party wanted to buy the place outright. That just wasn't an option. Yet.

The realtor I was working with reminded me of my Uncle Hal, on my mother's side. He told me the last time we talked that he had a big fish who was relocating to the area and was eager to look the place over. I was trying not to get my hopes up.

I loved my work at the museum, and hated to sacrifice anything for it, but I loved this place, too. I practically grew up here and it would kill me to have to part with it. I saw myself here with my own family, some time in the future. Finding the right guy to seed that family, well, that was another story entirely.

My mother always said that I was an old soul. When I was younger I didn't really understand what she was saying, and took offense. Now, though, I knew exactly what she meant. My mind and maturity are years older than my age. Guys my age only wanted to party or have sex, with little or no strings attached. I wanted more than that. I needed more than that. Sure, I like to have fun, laugh and party like the rest of them. Jake and I are close, but it isn't quite the same thing.

So, I had pretty much stopped dating. Jake comes in handy in that regard. Whenever we were out together, men didn't normally approach me. Jake didn't fit into that stereotypical idea of what most people thought of as gay. He was a tall, good looking man and worked hard to get the rock solid body he has. He wasn't flamboyant in any way, so most people didn't have any idea. It didn't hurt that we were usually touchy-feely with each other, too.

I dragged myself to bed, hoping to put this car wreck of an evening behind me.

I spent the next week getting the rest of the stations set up at the museum. We were scheduled to have the grand opening for the interactive displays next week. The whole idea was a gamble. I pitched the idea, and Alice backed me. The museum directors were on board, as long as it produced results.

Part of my claim was that there would be more school field trips, thus more traffic. The kids would tell their parents, and we'd get more adults... that was the idea, anyway. My job wasn't exactly riding on this, but if it turned out to be a flop, I was certain they wouldn't want any more ideas from Bella Swan.

It had been a long week of early mornings and late nights. So on Saturday, when my friend Carol asked me to meet her at Mel's, I jumped at the offer and was looking forward to having a fun and relaxing evening.

It turned out that Carol got a text from her boyfriend, and left shortly after I arrived. On my way out, I saw Jasper and Emmett and stopped to say hello. Only, when I approached the table, I saw that Edward was with them, as well.

The look on Edward's face when he saw me, reminded me of someone who just had a bug fly into their mouth. My smile fell as a distasteful grimace spread across his face.

Great. He's already gearing himself up to have to talk to me again. When he spoke to me, his lips were tight and his words condescending. There was no misinterpreting his opinion of me. In the eyes of Edward Cullen, I was young, naïve and of sub-par intellect. When I'd had enough of his talking down to me, I left. But not before I caught a sigh of relief escape his lips.

_What was it I saw in him again?_

"What's wrong?" Jake asked, after I slammed the front door and stomped into the kitchen.

"I hate assholes." I grumbled, dropping onto the couch next to him.

"Don't we all." Jake patted my leg. "Do I know this one?"

"No. It was Edward." I sighed.

"Edward? You mean J and Alice's friend?" I nodded. "I thought you liked him."

"I did. I do. That's the problem." I sighed, feeling the sting of tears in my eyes.

"He must have been an ass to have made _you_ mist up." he observed.

"No, he was just a little mean. Cold. It really wasn't what he said, it just brought up memories that I wasn't prepared for."

"Tell me." Jake switched the TV off and turned to face me.

"He implied that, because of my age, which he seems to have a major problem with, I don't know anything about life and the crap it throws at you."

"Age doesn't have anything to do with that." Jake said flatly.

"I know. That's what I told him before I stormed out of the bar." I sighed deeply. "When I got to the truck, all I could think about was Corrine." Jake leaned into me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

Corrine was my twin sister. We were in an ATV accident when we were 14, and she died a few days later. I was behind her on the four-wheeler, and thrown when we hit the rock. I sustained a minor back injury, while Corrine was crushed under the machine. It was an agonizing time; the most traumatic thing I've ever been through. Like most twins, we were close. Watching her fight for her life was excruciating. When the doctors told us that it was time to make a decision to pull the plug, or leave her in a vegetative state, I became hysterical. Jake was the only one who was able to snap me out of it, and help me come to terms with the decision that had been made.

He held me for days after Corrine's funeral, letting me scream and cry. Whatever it was that I needed, he encouraged me to let it out. I was able to do the same for him not long after.

I'd known for a couple years back then that Jake was gay. I'm sure he did, too, but it wasn't something we talked about. Until the day came when he had accepted it and wanted to tell his parents.

Jake's mom was great. She told him that no matter what, she'd always love him. As long as he was happy, so was she. His father, on the other hand, flipped out. He yelled obscenities and called Jake names. When Jake told his dad, that what he thought wouldn't change anything, he punched Jake in the face and left for the rest of the night.

When Jake's dad came back, he was determined to find a cure for him. Things were tense and uncomfortable at first. By the end of two years, they had become almost intolerable. During that time, Mr. Black dragged him to doctors and therapists, sure that someone would be able to make Jake 'not gay'. His mother tried to intervene, but it didn't do any good. She finally had enough and told her husband that if he couldn't accept Jake and his lifestyle, then he could leave. Mr. Black never said another word to either of them; he packed his bags and left.

Jake and I went to Arizona State University together. I majored in art and minored education. I'm not an artist, and don't create anything of my own, but I love the history and beauty of art. My mother is an artist, selling her pottery and paintings at roadside stands and flea markets. Much of it was quirky, and not all of her pieces looked like art when she was done, but she loved it. She's nurtured my creative side to what it is today. When I got the opportunity to work with Alice in the restoration department, I had found my passion. Coupled with my education degree and my love of kids, I was able to secure a permanent position with the museum after I graduated.

Jake was the creator in our dynamic duo. He dabbled in different mediums; painting, drawing, chalk. But his main focus is sculpting. The detail and emotion he brings to a piece amazes me every time he unveils a new one.

He's joined my mom at her stand on a few occasions, and the last time, he was approached by the owner of a local gallery. Jake has his first exclusive showing in 2 weeks.

And that was why I didn't want to burden him any longer with the hurt feelings that Edward brought on, or any boo-hooing over my sister, so I went to bed. When I woke at 6 from a nightmare, I didn't try to go back to sleep. I'd had a hard enough time just getting to sleep in the first place.

After making breakfast and watching the morning news, I dressed and went out to the barn to saddle up Gidget, my 18th birthday present from my parents. She was a beautiful grey and white leopard Appaloosa.

I rode around the property and came out on the road just west of the house. I was successful in clearing my mind of the encounter I had the previous night with Edward. Even though, I really didn't want to give up my daydreaming about him, I had to accept that he was in no way interested in me. In his eyes, I was a child.

Not 2 minutes after that thought, I froze in the saddle. Edward was sitting under the big Palo Verde tree at the front of my property. My brain hiccuped once or twice.

_What the hell was he doing here?_

I was immediately nervous and giddy, all at the same time. I moved Gidge along slowly, watching in amazement as Zeus let Edward touch him. They almost looked like old friends. When I was right in front of him, I made my presence known.

I don't know what I expected, Edward wasn't much nicer than he had been the previous night. He greeted me rudely and spoke to me in the same manner. Condescending and dismissive.

And he had the nerve to do it bare chested. That was immensely distracting.

I tried to keep the conversation pleasant and polite, but when he brought up the sale of the farm, I had to go. It was too close to my heart, and I didn't want Mr. Perfect stomping all over it.

I took it easy for the rest of my only day off, deciding to read and veg in front of the TV. Jake was busy in the attic; I hadn't seen him since he left me last night. I whipped up some Carbonara for dinner and threw all the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. When I went to bed later that night, Edward was still on my mind. I was astonished, however, when I woke from an erotic dream about him.

I woke in a sweat, shocked and aroused. I climbed out of bed, sitting on the side to catch my breath. I shook it off and went to the bathroom to splash cold water on my face.

After getting settled back into bed, I had to laugh. Sure, I'd had erotic dreams before, but it was usually about the guy I was seeing at the time. This was so unexpected, it kinda shook me up a little. I read for a while and was able to get back to sleep and forget all about Edward Cullen.

For a few days, anyway.

Mr. Estrada called me Monday afternoon, and we set up an appointment to meet with my prospective buyer on Wednesday. I didn't have my hopes set too high for this, as everyone else had fallen through.

When I walked into his office on Wednesday, to say I was surprised was an understatement. Standing next to my realtor was an arrogant looking Edward. Who, by the way, didn't look nearly as surprised to see _me_.

The bastard had played me. He had to have known all about this. Why didn't he say something when I saw him on Sunday? When he was obviously scoping out my place.

"Mr. Estrada." I held out my hand in greeting.

"Miss Swan, this is Edwa..." he started.

"Edward Cullen." I finished, rather tersely.

"Oh, you know each other?" Mr. Estrada asked, looking confused.

"Yes, it turns out we have mutual friends." Edward answered calmly.

"Well then, let's have a seat and get started."

I took a chair across the table from Edward, while Mr. Estrada sat at the head of the small conference table. I tried to hold on to the anger I was now feeling, but I found myself torn. Stay angry, or daydream about him? I quickly deduced that I had to separate these feelings that I had for Edward, as they were clearly unwanted by him. His partnership would save my farm. I could suck it up and do this.

I could...right?

While the realtor was going through some of the legal jargon, I couldn't stop my mind from returning to the dream I had of Edward.

He was bare chested and sweaty, just like he was on Sunday. He had that fresh glow that a body takes on after vigorous exercise. Oh, the things I wanted him to do to me. I found myself staring at his mouth and felt my pulse quicken. Edward's tongue peeked out, to wet his lips as he listened to Mr. Estrada drone on. _I_ wanted to lick them. I tore my eyes away from him, feeling my face redden. Trying my hardest, I shifted my attention back to the meeting.

"Miss Swan, is there anything you'd like to add?" Mr. Estrada asked. Since I hadn't been listening, I just stared at him for a moment like a dumb ass.

"Uh, no. I think you covered it." I smiled, regaining some composure.

We hashed out some of the finer details, and agreed that we'd split the cost of running the farm 50/50. Edward was actually willing to agree to my terms. I wasn't completely sure this would work out and we even discussed a sort of pre-nup type of document, in the event that it didn't.

Edward had some great ideas for generating income by utilizing the farm as a therapy tool. Mr. Estrada handed me a printout of an email that Edward had obviously written up. It was full of ideas and examples of successful therapy farms. We'd be able to help out kids who really needed it, and stay solvent at the same time. It sounded like a win-win situation. As long as I could keep my distance from this man who only wanted a professional relationship with me.

Mr. Estrada left to speak to his assistant and Edward excused himself to the bathroom. I watched him walk out...staring at his ass, wondering if it looked anything like what I dreamed of.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to scrub the memory from my mind. Seeing his glistening body hovering over me, my own body deceived me by shuddering.

I guess I must have been reveling in this fantasy longer than I thought, because Edward startled me when he returned.

"Are you alright?" he asked. A devilish smile played on his lips. Like he could see right through me, into my head.

"Yes." I cleared my throat. "I'm fine." I smoothed my hair down in an attempt to regain some control. "So, why didn't you tell me Sunday that you were checking out my place as an interested buyer?" I boldly asked.

"I didn't know it was yours 'til you told me." he said as he sat back down. "It isn't like I was on an espionage mission, Bella." he said condescendingly.

"Still, you could've said something." I sounded like a petulant child.

"You're right." he admitted. "Seeing as we got off on the wrong foot, though, I didn't want to make the situation worse." It felt like he wanted to say more, but the realtor interrupted him.

"All right now," Mr. Estrada said as he bustled back into the room. "are we ready to sign the papers?" He looked back and forth between us.

I was torn. Edward was willing to accept my offer as is, which was a godsend for me and the farm. But could I really separate myself from this, and see it for what it was? A purely _business only_ relationship. I wish I could stall and talk to Jake about this. Stalling, however, would only cement my naivety in Edward's eyes.

He was a _doctor_ for Christ's sake. Educated, successful...and I was stalling again.

"Can we have a few minutes?" Edward asked Mr. Estrada. I looked up at him in surprise. Did my hesitation cause him to rethink his offer?

Mr. Estrada left the room and closed the door behind him. I fidgeted in my chair, unable to look Edward in the eye. I stared at his eyebrows, instead.

"What is it that concerns you, Bella?" he asked. "I will take full responsibility for the therapy side of things. You won't have anything to do with that. I'll hire my own people and deal with the business side of it as well."

What Edward didn't know was that I wasn't worried about the business side of things.

"We'll split the regular monthly expenses for the upkeep and care of the horses. I'll pay for any renovations to the small house." he continued. He was very convincing.

It was time for me to pull up my big girl panties. We'd probably rarely see each other, so my mooning over him could, and would, be kept under control.

"Okay." I smiled, actually looking into his eyes.

_I could get lost in those mossy green eyes._

"Let's call Mr. Estrada back and sign the papers." I smiled.

I gave Edward directions to the small house that sat behind and to the west of my own. I chuckled a little, thinking of the disrepair it was in. It wasn't falling a part or anything, I had kept it up in that respect. But, inside it would need a complete renovation. Back when my grandparents were still here, a couple of the farm hands had lived there. Since the passing of my grandfather, no one had resided in the small bunk house.

I went home that evening and drank a couple bottles of beer, contemplating how this partnership would affect my life.

EPOV

Holy crap on a cracker. Bella walked into Mr. Estrada's office and took my breath away. She looked so beautiful. And young. I was scared shitless that she'd see right through me, so I tried really hard to not even look at her most of the time. I had to look at this for what it was, a strictly business _only_, deal. She was off limits. That fact became increasingly clear as the meeting progressed. Bella looked uncomfortable and preoccupied. If she had any idea about some of the thoughts I had, she'd think me an old perv.

I could almost see the gears turning in her head, when the time came to sign the papers. I thought she was going to back out, so I did my damnedest to convince her that this a good thing and would work to both our advantages.

I knew, from a few sources, that the farm meant a lot to Bella. I agreed to add a clause to the contract, that if things didn't work out, we'd split the assets of the business side, have the house assessed, with a lawyer giving us a final tally. Either way, if it went tits up, she wouldn't lose the place to me. I think she was surprised by my suggestion to add it.

_See? I'm not such a bad guy._ Maybe now she won't totally hate me.

It was getting dark by the time we finished at the realtor's office, so I decided that I'd wait for tomorrow to go see the house.

"Goodbye, Bella, and thank you." I said with sincerity.

"Thank you. Goodnight, Edward." Bella said coolly.

I watched Bella drive off until I lost sight of her tail lights. I had to get over these ideas I had about her. For one, there is no way she'd ever go for me. She didn't like me, that much was obvious. Second, even if she did, what kind of person would that make me? I'm too old. I was _12 years_ older than her. That just made me feel weird.

I wasn't sure I could trust another woman with my soul again, anyway. It'd be best if I just buried myself into the work at the farm.

I went back to Jasper and Alice's, pausing to tell them that I had signed the papers on the property. Alice made me a plate, so I warmed it in the microwave, grabbed a couple beers and headed down to my room. I flipped through the channels twice before I even paid attention to what was on. I left it on the news and ate my dinner. I was feeling restless, even after the beers. Deciding that a hot shower might relax me, I grabbed a change of clothes and left my little bedroom.

I heard someone on the stairs, and waited until they appeared.

"Hey Edward. Got a minute?" Jasper asked as his face came into view.

"Sure, what's up?" I sat on a nearby stool.

"Well, it's this deal with the property. I just found out that it was Bella's place that you're buying into."

Yeah. I had neglected to tell them that.

It wasn't that I was trying to hide it, I just didn't feel like getting into the whole thing tonight. The only information I had given them was a brief description of the place.

"Alice just got off the phone with Bella, who wanted to know if we knew about all this."

"Damnit. I'm sorry, man. It wasn't my intention to put you in an awkward position. I didn't even know the place was Bella's 'til a few days ago." I sighed.

"Nah, that's okay. I just want you to know that Bella really is like family. I know you wouldn't screw her over, but, I feel the need to say something about it anyway."

"I won't. To protect her, more than myself, I had a clause added into the contract to do that very thing."

"Great." Jasper smiled. "I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page."

"I'm going to go out there tomorrow to take a better look at everything. I have no idea what kind of work this is gonna take."

"Well, I've seen the place. The hands' house has good bones, but it'll need some improvements on the inside. I can't believe you didn't take a better look around before you signed anything." he shook his head.

"Yeah, that might bite me in the ass." I sighed, knowing that I had rushed this whole deal.

We said goodnight and I cranked the shower as hot as I could take it. After letting the hot water work it's magic, I crawled into bed, naked.

I'd started doing this more often, too. It was yet another thing that I gave up because Kate didn't like it.

_I guess that should have been a red flag_.

I felt a little silly doing things like this, but it felt good to not have to be concerned with Kate's, or anyone else's, opinion. I had to drive her out of my head by thinking of the things I wanted to accomplish at the farm.

I'm not sure when I fell asleep, but I woke up at 1:37 am. It was the first night I dreamt of Bella Swan.

* * *

**A/N: Pov's are going to flip flop. I try to give equal time to both E & B. Bella didn't react the way you thought she would regarding the property, did she? She's young, enamoured by Edward and desperate to save her farm. I truly love to hear your thoughts and will respond to each of you! Thank you so, so much! Hope you enjoyed it. See you next week ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm blown away at the response this is getting! Thank you readers, reviewers and alerters! I hope all my American readers had a happy 4th :)**

**This fic wouldn't be what it is without 3 lovely ladies that I am privileged to call my friends. Kari, Kim and Chevy. Much love and big hugs to you all!**

**There's a wee bit of citrus here at the beginning. Let's see if these 2 can see past their own misconceptions of each other.**

**I own nothing that is Twilight, except for the books and DVD's. And this plot idea. **

* * *

Walk

Chapter 4

I woke in a sweat with a raging hard-on. I hadn't had such an illicit, wanton, wet dream since I was in college. And it starred Bella. Sweet, luscious Bella.

I knew it was wrong, but still lost in a mid-sleep, I couldn't stop myself. I closed my eyes, and conjured the dream back. Wrapping my hand around my stiff dick, I saw Bella hovering over me, her soft, thick hair cascading around us. I could actually smell her sweet shampoo.

I lifted my hips, imagining my hand was her. Thrusting into her. The image quickly changed, and I saw her kneeling over me, about to take me into her mouth. My thumb made a circuit around the head of my cock, my mind had her soft, pink tongue licking me.

It had been a while since I had an orgasm, so it didn't take me long. I stroked myself faster, gripped my cock tighter. I had to turn my head and bite the pillow to make sure no one heard me. I immediately felt remorse for using Bella like that, but at the same time...fuck, did it feel good!

I cleaned up with a few tissues and quickly fell back asleep. If I dreamed anymore about Bella, I didn't remember it when I woke.

I knew Bella would be at work by the time I got out to the farm, and for that, I was grateful. I'm not sure I could face her after that dream and my subsequent lascivious behavior.

I followed the driveway past the big house and saw mine just behind and to the side of it. Before I even got out of the car, I saw a note taped to the worn wooden door.

I got out and was greeted by Zeus snorting at me from the corral that butted up to the side of the house.

"Hey, Zeus." I called out to him as I reached the door. The note just said "Welcome" and had a key taped to it. I tore it off and unlocked the door.

"Christ." I said, as I waded through the cobwebs. I walked through the entire house, which wasn't that small, especially for just me. There was a loft and 2 downstairs bedrooms, one bigger than the other; a kitchen, living room, a utility room and a bathroom. I immediately thought that I would use one of the bedrooms as an office. I could definitely make this work.

After I got a cleaning crew out here.

I went back outside and heard footsteps. A big man, dark haired and tan, rounded the corner by the barn, walking in my direction. As he got closer, he spoke.

"You must be Edward." he held out his hand when he got close enough. "I'm Jake."

"Jake. Nice to meet you." I said, shaking his hand. He looked at least 10 years younger than me. "You work here?" I asked.

"No, not really." he laughed. "I help Bella out with feeding the horses. That is, until you take over the job."

"Oh. Okay." I watched as he eyed me up and down, no doubt sizing me up. I straightened a little taller and cleared my throat. "How long will you be around today?"

"I'll be here all day. I live here." he thumbed over his shoulder towards Bella's house.

Ah. Okay, I get it now. This is Bella's boyfriend. Shit, I wonder what he'd do to me if he knew I jacked off to his girlfriend during the night.

"Let me know if you need anything. I'll probably be working, so ring the door bell. I won't hear you if you knock." He clarified. I watched Jake take his time walking back to Bella's house.

Scratch that, _his_ and Bella's house.

I felt...deflated. Like all the air had been sucked out of me.

_What the fuck?_

I walked back into the bunk house, MY house, slamming the door. I was suddenly kind of pissed. There was one beat up old chair in the room, so I sat down, raking a hand through my hair.

Bella was off limits anyway, and I knew this. Why did knowing she had a boyfriend, correction, a _live-in_ boyfriend, bother me so much?

I couldn't allow myself the time to get my head around it right now, so I left the farm and headed back to Jasper's to do some research and find a good wrecking crew. This place needed a nice overhaul.

I called Jasper to get Emmett's number; I figured I'd use my new friend to help out with renovating the house. The next thing I did was hire a cleaning crew to go out there and make it breathable. The dust was so thick you could almost cut it.

Krissy's Kleaners couldn't make it out to the house until tomorrow, so I made the appointment as early as possible. I'm not sure what was fueling my obsession. Was it my need to get everything up and running, or was it Bella? She kept invading my every thought.

I called Emmett, who was just finishing up on a job site, and we made plans to meet out at the ranch after lunch.

I remembered seeing a small cooler in the garage when I had used Jasper's bike. After digging it out, I made a couple sandwiches and grabbed some water and sodas. I saw a bag of carrots, and hoped Alice didn't want them for supper that night; I'd have to replace them on my way back this evening.

I had a thought before leaving, and looked up Bella's cell number on the property contract. I wanted to take my laptop, but if I couldn't hook up to the internet, it wouldn't do me any good.

I waited 4 rings before she picked up, and that was when my mouth decided to go completely dry.

"Hello?" a tentative Bella asked. I quickly took a swig of water, trying not to choke on it.

"Bella? It's Edward." Nothing but silence came through on the other end.

"Hi Edward." When Bella finally spoke, her voice was less shy. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm going back out to the farm and I was wondering what kind of internet access you had out there."

"Back?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah. I was out there already, to take a look at the house." All I heard was Bella breathing.

"We have the standard hook up, but also have a router." she stated matter-of-factly.

Was everything going to be difficult with her?

"You'd just need the password to use it." she continued.

"Okay, great. Can I get it?" I tried very hard to keep the frustration out of my voice.

"Sure." Bella drew a deep breath. "It's Corrine03." I had to repeat it back to her, she said it so quietly. I assumed she just didn't want anyone to hear the password.

"Thanks Bella, I appreciate this."

"It's no problem, Edward. Oh, so you know, the water is from a well but you'll need to call the power company to get that turned back on."

I thanked her again and looked up the local power company to get that taken care of. I grabbed my laptop and the cooler and got my ass back on the road.

It had been a while since I had felt this inspired. Probably since I was with my last patient. She was a sweet little 10 year old girl who had been hit by a car. She had been very lucky and only had to have some rehabilitation after her broken leg had healed. It was her attitude that infected me, though. Life can be amazing through a child's eyes.

I felt my mood fall as I pulled into the driveway. Emmett was sitting on the rail of Bella's porch talking to Jake. Just thinking his name made my skin crawl. I threw them a wave and continued on to my house.

I was getting used to this. MY HOUSE. I smiled, feeling a bit foolish. No one could see me except Zeus, and who was he going to tell? I parked and decided to check out the barn. I grabbed the carrots from the cooler and went exploring. Jasper was right. I had no idea why I didn't get out here and check this place out more thoroughly before buying into it. Things seemed to be moving so slowly, then all of a sudden, we were signing the papers. So far, though, everything seemed copacetic.

As I wandered through the property, I noted that there were plenty of stalls, and it looked like only half were being used. This place had some serious potential. I walked to the end, where the gate to the pasture was, and met Zeus and a couple of his stall mates.

I was jerked back to reality from my wandering thoughts when Emmett hollered at me to meet him at the house. I finished feeding the carrots to the horses and made my way back toward the house where he waited.

Emmett and I walked through all the rooms as we discussed what I would like to have done and what absolutely _had_ to be done. When he gave me a rough estimate, I choked.

"If all I had to do was fix this place up, it would be fine." I told him. "Unfortunately, I also need to get the business side of this started, too. What if I help?"

"Tell me about your plans for the place." Emmett's eyes wandered the walls and came back to meet mine.

I told him about a couple of the other therapy ranches I knew of, and had actually been to. I went out and got my laptop from the car, to show him some of the websites, so he would have a better understanding of what I was trying to accomplish.

He looked at the sites, letting me talk until I started to feel uncomfortable. He hadn't said a word. I looked at him expectantly.

"What if you had a corporate sponsor?" he asked.

"That would be great, actually." I said, surprised.

"Let me talk to Rosie and get back to you." he said, as he wrote on his clipboard.

"You?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"Yeah. Why not? You can't have a construction company as a sponsor?" he asked seriously.

"Sure, of course. I'm just surprised that you want to help."

"Well, it would please me a lot to be able to help out sick kids. I'm sure Rosalie won't have anything against it, either, but I have to talk to her about it before I sign on."

"That would really help a lot, Emmett. Thank you." The more I got to know this guy, the more impressed I became.

"Great. So, you know how to swing a hammer?" he asked, with a big goofy smile on his face.

As Emmett was leaving, I told him that I would be in touch with him after the power was back on.

I was behind the house getting ready to eat another sandwich, when I heard someone pulling in. I figured it was Emmett again, coming back for a forgotten tool or the clipboard he carried around.

It wasn't Emmett.

I watched a long, lean leg ending in a black high heel emerge from the car. The other leg followed it and my eyes trailed straight up...to Bella's face. She was looking right at me, and I felt the burn of embarrassment streak my face.

My ringing phone saved me. I waved at Bella and dug it out of my pocket. My mother was right on time for our weekly conversation.

"Hi Mom, how are you?" I tried to control the spastic beating of my heart as I dropped down to sit at the base of a tree.

"I'm great Edward, thank you. How are you?" her tone suggested that I had fallen off the planet since leaving Santa Fe.

"I'm doing really well. How's Dad?"

We talked and got caught up on all the relevant _and_ non relevant issues. I mean, I was happy her store was doing well, but didn't really give a damn which books the ladies were reading in her book club. I was polite, though.

I turned the conversation back to reality and told her all about my new acquisition.

"Yeah, I'm here right now." I told her, looking around my small yard.

"Send us some pictures, Edward. We want to see it!" My parents were really great. If I said I wanted to make paper airplanes as a new career move, they'd find some way to support me.

"It's still really rough, Mom, but I'll get you some. They'll be good 'before' pictures." I laughed.

As I was winding down the call, I watched Bella and Jake drive away in her car. They both had glanced my way, Bella's gaze lingering a little longer, I noticed, and immediately wondered whether or not she was regretting this whole thing.

I had a lot to do, in order to get this place up and running, so I pushed any thoughts of Bella to the back of my mind.

The next couple of days were hectic. I went around to the places I had interviewed at, and a few others, to place help wanted ads on the bulletin boards. I was going to need a couple of volunteers to help me. I ran into the lady from the first place I had visited, and subsequently had denied the job she offered. Tanya was her name, if I remembered correctly.

"Edward, right?" she asked, smiling brightly.

"Yes. Hi, how are you?" I asked politely.

"Great, thanks. What are you doing?" she pointed at the board I had just tacked an ad to.

"I'm looking for a couple of volunteers." I explained, not wanting to go into too much detail. She leaned in for a closer look, her shoulder lightly brushing across my chest. I took a step back.

"You found a place for your therapy idea?" she asked, not moving from her position, but turning towards me

"I did." I was kind of impressed that she remembered.

She looked at her watch. "I was just heading out for lunch, would you please join me? I'd really like to hear more about your plans."

I was hesitant to accept her offer, remembering her flirtatious nature during my interview. But since I wasn't going to be working for her, why not? She might make a useful contact.

"Sure, where are we going?"

The lunch turned out to be a really good thing. I found Tanya to be intelligent and witty. Though she came on a little strong personally, she was genuinely interested in my new venture, and really cared about helping kids needing rehab. Our conversation turned after the business part had concluded.

"So, Edward, what kinds of things do you like to do?" Tanya asked, as her eyes took on a playful look.

Her question caught me off guard. I didn't want to sound like a dumb ass, but I was still figuring out what I liked to do.

"Am I prying?" she laughed.

"No." I assured her. "I like a lot of things. Music, reading, pretty much anything physical." I gulped when she chuckled. Realizing what I insinuated, I felt my face heat up. "Like sports, working out with the kids...stuff like that." I quickly added.

I suddenly became very interested in my plate. "What about you?" I asked, before shoving the last of my turkey on honey wheat into my mouth.

"How about we save that for another time?" Tanya reached across the table, gently touching my hand. "I need to get back to my office for a meeting."

"Okay, sure." I said, thankful that I wouldn't be put on the spot by any more questions I wasn't prepared to answer.

"May I?" she picked up my phone.

Not sure what she had planned, I only nodded. Tanya messed with my phone for a minute. "There." she said, handing it back. "Call me."

"Uh...okay." She'd put her number on my phone. I started to put it in my pocket.

"Now, Edward." she laughed. "I'd like to have your number, too." Why she didn't just ask for my number, I had no idea.

After our number exchange, we went our separate ways down the busy sidewalk. I hadn't taken five steps and ran right into a woman. I looked down at the poor girl sprawled on the ground.

"I'm so sor.." I stopped mid-word. I had just knocked Bella down. She gazed up at me from the sidewalk, looking kinda cute in her sleeveless pink dress.

"Christ, Edward! Don't you watch where you're going?" she snapped. She was like a little bear cub, trying to be menacing. Cute as hell, but still dangerous.

"It was an accident, Bella. I'm sorry." I said, tugging her by the arm to get her off the ground.

"And then you manhandle me!" she winced, rubbing her arm.

"I was only trying to help you up." I snapped back. Her hand fell away from her arm, and I saw the redness from the grip I had on her. "I am sorry. Are you alright?" I softened my tone.

"Yes," she sighed. "I'm fine." Bella's phone rang and she reached into her purse to answer it, turning away from me.

"Hi," she answered. "Yeah, I'm on my way. I was detained a bit." she looked at me from the corner of her eye.

"I have to get going." Bella flipped her phone shut. "See you around, Edward."

BPOV

I was already running late to meet Jake at the gallery, which isn't a good thing with him. He was known to get his panties in a twist where punctuality was concerned. I parked where I knew I could get a spot and set off to walk the rest of the way. Then...BAM!

Truth be told, it was just as much my fault as it was his. I was rummaging in my purse, not watching where I was walking. The next thing I knew, I was looking up at Edward from the ground.

The first thing that I thought, after 'OW!', was that Edward was solid, deliciously so. I laid there looking up at him until he grabbed my arm and pulled me up. I was not prepared for the feeling that overtook my body, even from such a rough touch. Though, it wasn't as rough as I made it out to be.

Whether it was embarrassment, or being afraid that he'd see right through me, I snapped at him and made it seem like it was entirely his fault. His touch made my skin tingle and caused my body to react to him. Long after he let go of my arm, I could still feel his hand wrapped tightly around me. My ringing phone helped me save face and regain some composure. It was Jake wanting to know where I was, so I was able to make a quick getaway.

"What happened to you?" Jake asked, meeting me as I walked through the gallery door.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I wasn't going to be able to keep my Edward fixation from Jake for much longer. His face screwed up in frustration.

"Ugh! I don't know what it is that you aren't telling me, but I don't have time to interrogate you right now." Jake grabbed my hand. "Come on."

Jake was busy trying to decide how to set up his pieces for the show. He had taken Polaroids of his masterpieces and was scurrying around the room rearranging the pictures, in place of where the sculptures would be.

"What if I put Beauty here instead, and moved The Fish over there?" We'd been at it for an hour and I think everything was back in it's original place, for the second time.

"Here..." I moved a few pictures around then stood next to Jake. "That's it." I said, extending my arms to encompass the room. We wrote on the backs of the pictures where they'd be placed and gathered his stuff together.

"Are you cooking tonight?" Jake asked, putting a box in the back seat.

"I"m really exhausted, Jake. Plus, my back is killing me." Of course, my fall earlier was to blame for that. Coupled with my old injury, I was beginning to be in a lot of pain.

I pulled into traffic and headed to our favorite fish taco place for takeout. As I was parking, my phone chimed, letting me know that I had just got a text. Unfortunately, it let Jake know, too.

"Ooh, let's see who this is from." he snatched up my phone. "It's from..."

I turned the engine off and looked at Jake, who was staring at me with a look that said something along the lines of 'You got some 'splaining to do.'

"Who's it from?" I grabbed at my phone. Jake held it away from me, with his other hand out, fending me off.

"Why is Edward texting you that he is, and I quote, 'Really sorry and hopes there's no lasting damage', then, 'still friends?' Talk, Isabella." Jake squared himself in the seat sideways, strumming his fingers on the dash board.

"Jake, can we just get some food and go home?" I begged. "I'll tell you what happened on the way." I gave him a good look at my sad, tired eyes and fluttering eyelashes. It always makes him laugh.

"Okay, runt. Only because I'm starving." he laughed, dropping my phone in my purse.

"You're always starving, Jake."

Once we were back in the car, he barely gave me a chance to get on the road. He turned off the radio and gave my leg a pat.

"Start talking."

"As you know, I was running a little late today. I was made even later because I literally ran into Edward on the sidewalk. I ended up flat on my back."

I glanced over at Jake. His brows were furrowed and his lips were pursed.

"What?" I asked. "That's what happened."

"When I said you were gonna spill, I meant everything, girlfriend. You've hardly said a thing about him since that first time at movie night over at J and Ally's. There is much more to this story, and I want to know it all."

"Jake, come on. Do we have to do this right now?" I whined, looking for an out.

"No, you can wait until I have a beer in my hand and my stomach has stopped growling." Jake sniffed. "Then, no more stalling!"

Well, I'd gotten a small reprieve. I let Jake get the paper plates and beer while I went upstairs to change. I gave my dress a once over and found a small tear from my brush with the sidewalk. I made a mental note to fix it and threw it in the hamper.

After putting on my back brace, I got into my soft, warm PJ pants and t-shirt. By the time I got back down, Jake had drank half of his beer and had wolfed down a taco. I sat down gently next to him and took a long drink from my already opened beer.

"I think I have a crush on Edward." I just threw it out there, figuring it was all going to come out anyway.

"That's understandable. He's hot." The unsurprised Jake continued to eat, but fluttered his fingers in the air for me to continue.

"You don't understand, Jake." I sighed. "He thinks that I'm a kid. You should hear the way he talks to me."

"Like what?" he asked, licking at some sauce that had dripped down his finger.

"Well, I told you about the conversation we had at the bar." Jake nodded. "And he's insinuated more than once that he thinks I'm naïve. I guess it's the tone he takes with me." I snipped. "The disdain and condescension drips from his lips."

"That's poetic." Jake snarked. "Then why do you like him?"

I thought for a minute, staring out the window into the dark night. "To be honest, I kinda had a crush on him before he even got here. Hearing Alice and Jasper talk about him, how much he cares about the kids he works with. I got the impression that Edward was very compassionate and genuine, and I found that attractive."

"There must be more than that. You met him and he's been a jerk to you on almost every occasion." Jake observed.

"I'm not sure. I don't know if it's purely physical, or just my need to have him NOT dislike me, ya know?" I shook my head in confusion.

"Purely physical, huh?" Jake's eyebrows danced up and down.

"Oh my God, Jake. You have no idea." I conjured a mental picture of Edward and sighed.

"Everything about him is sexy. The line of his jaw, his long, thick lashes, his hands. Oh, and his eyes. I could get lost in those eyes of his..." I trailed off, my finger absently picking at the label on my beer. "They're so expressive."

"And what do they say to you?" Jake snickered.

"That's just it. When he was around the kids, he seemed like he was in such a good mood, happy. His eyes were bright and shining. When he's talking to me, he seems so...disappointed. His eyes seem to get darker. Almost sad." I let my head fall back against the couch.

"What else?" he pushed.

"When he ran into me today, and helped me off the ground...wow. His touch had my entire body tingling. It made me feel alive. And I could tell that he was solid." I sighed. "Of course, his mouth had to go and ruin it."

"Isabella Swan." Jake's voice took on a chastising tone. "I know you, and I know that you _had_ to have contributed to that incident."

I smiled sheepishly. "It wasn't all his fault. I wasn't watching where I was going." Jake arched a knowing eyebrow at me. "And I didn't even thank him for helping me up."

Jake started rummaging around under the litter of taco wrappers and found my phone. Handing it to me, he said "Why don't you do it now?"

I finished off my beer as I read the texts Edward had sent me. I let out a long sigh and hit the reply key.

_Thank you, I'm fine_, I lied, feeling my back twinge. If it weren't for my previous injury, my back probably wouldn't be hurting.

_Yes, still friends, _I texted, cringing a little. As much of friends as we'll probably ever be, that is.

_Send_

I turned off my phone, downed some pain meds and told Jake goodnight. It was just another day I wanted behind me because of Edward Cullen.

Or was it my humiliation? I didn't feel like analyzing it any longer. I let the pills do their work and fell fast asleep.

~W~

I was going in late to the museum, and was supposed to be sleeping in. The loud radio and hammering, however, wasn't going to let that happen.

"What the hell is that?" I said to my empty room. Crawling out of my bed, I went to look out the window. What I saw made my heart stutter.

Edward.

The morning sun was shining on his bare, muscular back while he hammered at a window sill. Holy hell, the sight made my girly parts quiver. It was too bad he was off limits.

He stopped hammering and looked around, then turned and looked right at me. Edward grinned and started back in again. That pissed me off. How dare he make all this noise first thing in the morning AND have the audacity to look so scrumptious while doing it?

"Hey!" I yelled out after opening my window. "People do sleep around here!"

"It's almost 10 o'clock, Bella. Shouldn't you be at work?" he asked.

Great. More patronizing from the elder Cullen.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I am going in late today." I had the urge to stick my tongue out at him, but instead just closed my window, then the drapes.

I hadn't meant to sleep that late; I was going to have to rush in order to get to work on time. As I was getting into my car, Edward made another appearance.

"You may want to get another alarm clock." he said, scaring the bejesus out of me. "I heard yours go off an hour before you decided to holler at me."

"Maybe." I mumbled, closing the door. Not wanting to be too rude, I immediately opened my window after starting the car. "Did you need anything?" I asked.

"I wouldn't know where to start." he muttered, looking at the ground. "Have a great day, Bella." he said, turning back towards the bunk house. _His_ house.

I guess I'd better get used to that.

On my drive, I found myself scrutinizing every word he said to me. The tone, the connotation. He talked to me like he was my father, for Christ's sake.

I ran through a drive-thru for a quick coffee and breakfast and made it to the museum 5 minutes late.

"Bella! There you are." an exasperated Alice said.

We were having a class of students in today for a test run of the stations and Alice was freaking out on me.

"Is everything ready?" she asked, flipping through a handful of papers she held.

"It should be." I blew on my coffee and took a drink.

"You look preoccupied. What's wrong?" Alice's well clad toe started tapping.

"I'm good. There's going to be a transition period with my new partner, is all."

"Edward?" she asked.

"Yeah. He woke me up this morning with a radio blaring while he was hammering on his house."

"I've never known Edward to be inconsiderate, Bella. Are you two not getting along?" Alice's face took on a look of concern.

"He sees me as a child, and treats me as such. Always talking down to me, patronizing me. I am finding it increasingly frustrating." I sighed. Alice's face screwed up in confusion.

"Edward? Edward Cullen?"

"Damn, Alice. Yes, Edward Cullen." Was it so unbelievable?

"It sounds like maybe you two got off on the wrong foot. Or something. That is just weird. Edward is one of the most likeable, amicable people I know."

"Well, he isn't very _amicable _towards me." I didn't mean to sound pouty, but it came out that way. "I'd better get moving. The class will be here in a couple hours. I'll talk to you later."

I left Alice standing in the middle of the foyer, ready to lose myself in my work. I needed to get Edward Cullen out of my head.

* * *

**A/N: What do we think about Jake? And I think many of us would love for Edward to manhandle us. I'd love to hear any thoughts you have! Thanks for reading.**

**Recs: TheQueenWriter has two very different WIP's right now that own me. Out of the Blue and Bird Girl. OOTB has a yummy, tatted/doc Edward that is truly swoon-worthy. BG is freakin hilarious with a very fiesty, very OOC Bella. Go take a look, you won't regret it!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Ok dear readers, deep breaths and stay calm. Something is going to happen in this chapter. With someone most of you hate. There. will. be. NO. coitus. Ever. Trust me and don't abandon ship. I promise it will be short lived.**

**I try to make my characters realistic, and realistically, this 'thing' would happen. It's not even going to be a blip on the radar, though and definitely not going to form any kind of obstacle.**

**Trust-deep breaths-stay calm (Use and repeat as necessary)**

**Thank you Sooooooooooo so much for all the alerts and reviews. You all totally rocked my little fanfic world!**

**My BFF's, (alphabetically ordered, so as not to offend) Chevy, Kari & Kim. Everything that I write is made better by these 3 ladies, in some shape or form. Much love to you all!**

**Twilight is still owned by Ms. Meyers. I own my gay artist Jake ;)**

**Remember the mantra. Trust/breathe/calm...**

* * *

Walk

Chapter 5

EPOV

I used to be a likeable guy. Maybe I still am, just not in Bella Swan's eyes. Man, those eyes. Deep swirling pools of chocolate. They could swallow me whole. What a way to go, huh? Too bad I always seem to put my foot in my mouth when she's around.

I decided after our 'run in_',_ that I would take a minimalistic approach. I'd be polite, but succinct, when speaking to Bella; nothing more than what was necessary. I didn't even respond to her texts when she accepted my apology, if that's what you'd call it.

When I had, apparently rudely, roused her this morning, it was all I could do to hold my tongue. I had a lot of work to do here, and there is no way she couldn't know this. What the hell did she think I was going to do? Check with her before getting started?

No.

I just finished with a fucked up situation where I had to practically run my daily schedule by a life sucking whore. I was not physically able to allow _anyone_ to influence me like that right now. Even if she was beautiful when she was angry.

I had every right to do what I wanted, or needed, to do here. I'm half owner of this place, and short of being a complete dick, or trampling on Bella's civil rights, I was going to do whatever I damn well pleased, when I damn well pleased to do it.

I heard the door slam on the big house and turned to see Bella and Jake standing by the corner where the driveway is. They had their heads close together, her hands resting on his hips, his on her shoulders. When she kissed him on the cheek, I looked away and picked up my hammer.

_Aww. What a sweet moment_. Fuck that.

Bella backed out of the drive, leaving me to stew. My thoughts turned to Kate and my lost children. Again. That, of course, brought me right back to the night I found out what a lousy, lying bitch she was.

"Fucking bitch whore." I muttered, walking to the barn. I needed some kind of release and felt like I would explode if I didn't do something. The rage had been building and I wanted to beat the shit out of something. Instead, I whistled at Zeus to get his attention and grabbed a saddle.

"Hey, what are you doing?" a voice called out.

_Great. Bella's boy toy._

"I'm going for a ride."

"Not on Zeus. You don't know him, he can be pretty wild if he isn't used to you." Jake informed me, coming to a stop outside the stall.

"I know what I'm doing." I was close to exploding and this stupid fuck was trying to make it happen right here.

"Hey," Jake held his hands up. "I was only trying to warn you. You want to break that pretty neck of yours, go for it." He turned and walked away. "Bella won't be happy, though." He threw that last comment over his shoulder.

"I'm not so sure about that!" I yelled at his back. He didn't even slow down.

"Fuck you. Fuck Bella. Fuck everyone." I ranted under my breath as I tightened the straps.

I led Zeus out of the stall, then out of the barn, before mounting him. I barely got seated before I kicked him into gear and took off. Once we cleared the trees near the barn, he was going like a bat out of hell, and fuck me...it had been a long time since I was on a horse of his caliber.

Many things came back to me as I felt myself lose my seat. Like how a horse feeds off your demeanor. Most animals do. If you aren't in control of your emotions, the animal senses that. And, how this animal barely knows me, nor me him. It was foolish to think I could just jump on him and keep in control.

I hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of me completely. My lungs burned for air, my back felt like I might have fractured something, a rib most likely. And then, the weight of the world fell on me. I almost saw it spiraling towards me from the sky.

Anger, hurt, betrayal, frustration, humiliation, it all hit me as I laid on that patch of desert, flat on my back. I screamed and beat the ground with my fists. I felt the hot tears start to fall from my eyes, burning a trail on my skin. My lungs hurt, my back hurt and my heart was broken. Every fucking time I close my eyes, I see the children I should have. How I think they would look and sound...until Kate's face morphs into that vision.

The betrayal that I feel is actually the worst part. She broke my trust, and my soul. She's made me into this shell of a person that I am. She made me this cynical asshole that I've become. She crushed my pride, leaving me only able to doubt myself. It made me think that I wasn't good enough.

"Fu-u ck!" I screamed into the air.

Then there was Bella. Why the hell she has anything to do with what I'm feeling, I don't know. She fucking hates me. What is it about her that keeps getting under my skin?

Every time I see her, it's a confrontation. It starts out well enough, then something happens and a switch gets flipped. She seems like a nice enough girl, but so damn defensive. And young.

Zeus nudged me with his nose, breaking my train of thought.

"Is that your way of apologizing?" I asked, sitting up slowly. He snorted at me, as if to say yes. I wiped my eyes and scrubbed a hand over my face.

"I'm sorry, too." I gave his forehead a scratch. I got myself upright and took a deep breath. I think I'll escape with only some bruising, to both my body _and_ ego. Thankfully, Zeus was the only witness.

"Why don't we try this again?" I asked him, before easing back into the saddle. I wasn't ready to go back to the barn yet, so I continued on towards the west, as I had originally planned.

I took it slow, learning the horse's gait, and how he responded to commands. I got to see most of the property, and by the time I was ready to go back, Zeus and I understood each other much better.

After I put the big guy back in the pasture, I took some measurements and sketched out how I wanted the barn transformed. I may have worked on it for an hour before my phone started ringing.

It was Tanya, and I really did not feel like speaking to her right now. The woman unnerved me a little, so I let it go to voicemail.

I heard the beeping of a large truck backing up and went out to take a look. There was a panel truck with Volterra Gallery printed on the side. Jake was walking backwards behind it, guiding the driver to the front porch of Bella's house.

I knew I should just stay out of it, but I walked up there anyway.

"Hey Jake," I said, shoving my hands in my pockets. "What's going on?"

"Edward." he greeted me. "I'm loading up the pieces for my show."

"Bella mentioned that a couple of times." I remembered out loud. "When is it?" I asked, trying to be friendly.

"5 days." The driver and another guy hopped out and opened the back. They lowered a ramp off the end and grabbed a hand truck. "How was your ride?" Jake asked, smiling brightly.

I cleared my throat. "It was great." I crossed my arms over my chest. "Beautiful place you've got here." I chose to not even mention Zeus. I didn't want to give Jake any satisfaction regarding the damn horse.

"Need any help?" I offered in deflection.

"I don't think so, but thanks." Jake clapped me on the shoulder and walked into the house.

My phone started ringing again and I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't Tanya still trying to get a hold of me. It was Emmett.

"Edward, my man." he greeted me. "Got any plans later?"

"Not really. Until you can get some supplies out here, I'm kinda at a stalemate."

"It will be there Monday." he assured me. "In the mean time, get your ass back to Jasper's."

~W~

We pulled into a packed parking lot and I saw a bunch rides set up off in the field. We were at a fair. My eyes fell on a large banner near the entrance. This is _not_ what I had in mind when Emmett asked me to join him tonight. He and Jasper got it in their heads that this would be good for me. They said that I needed to get out.

"A monster truck rally?" I whispered to Jasper. "Really?"

"Give it a chance, Ed." Emmett smacked me on the back. The man must have superhuman hearing.

"This will be great, Edward." Jasper assured me.

Two beers and a loaded hot dog later, I was having a blast. Everyone was out of their seats yelling, the trucks were loud, I even enjoyed the acrid smell in the air. We took our seats again when there was a short intermission.

"Hey," Emmett elbowed my side. "I talked to Rose. She has no problem with us being a sponsor for your therapy thing."

"Oh yeah? That's great. Thank you." I smiled, already thinking about the positive impact a sponsor will have.

"She even said to tell you that she'd like to be involved somehow. Hands-on."

"Does she have any experience with kids?" I asked, not sure how she could help.

"Besides our own four?" he laughed. "She also volunteers at a women and children's shelter." he shrugged.

"Wow. I didn't know you had kids." I said, slightly stunned.

"The twins, EJ and Emmalie, are 12, Sammy is 10 and Steffie is 6." Emmett showed me a family picture on his phone.

"That's a beautiful family, Emmett." I said, reigning in my envy.

"They are." he smiled. "Thanks." Emmett took another look at the picture and slid his phone back in his pocket. "So, what do you think?" He gestured towards the field.

"I have to admit that I'm having a good time." I told the guys. Emmett just smiled, nodding his head knowingly.

"You just need a kick start, Ed. I'm going to get you a date next!" he laughed. Jasper leaned back, looking at me behind Emmett's head.

I thought about it for 2 seconds before I opened my mouth about Tanya. My friends were right, I needed to get back out there. Wherever 'there' was.

"I think I might be able to make my own date." Both guys' eyebrows shot up and their mouths hung open. "What?" I asked.

"I didn't think you knew anyone yet." Jasper answered.

"Who?" Emmett practically yelled.

"A woman I met while interviewing when I first got here. We had lunch the other day, and unless my Spidey senses have gone off kilter since my bachelor days, I think she likes me."

"Is she hot?" Emmett asked. Jasper nodded his head, wanting to know the answer, too.

"She's about 5'7, shoulder length blonde hair, and legs to die for." I smiled. "Yeah, she's hot." I admitted.

"This is gonna be over in an hour." Emmett waved his finger towards the stadium. "You should call her, see if she wants to meet you for a drink." he elbowed me in the side.

The trucks were coming back onto the field, and we flagged down the roving vendor for more beer. I was going to need the alcohol. I decided that I'd text Tanya. That was all the courage I could muster right now.

_Hi. How's your weekend going? _

Not 2 minutes later, my phone buzzed in my hand. That was fast. I took it as a good sign.

"_Not much going on. How are you?"_ she texted back.

"_I'm good. Want to get a drink later?" _I asked. Might as well just put it out there, right?

Immediately, I got an answer. _"Love to :) When? Where?"_

That stumped me. I hadn't been here long enough to know of a good place to go.

"_You choose the where. In about an hour." _I answered.

"_Spotlight. See you in an hour ;)" _

"Hey," I spoke up. "Where is Spotlight?"

"Ah-ha! Eddie's got a date!" Emmett yelled, slapping my shoulder.

"It's a karaoke bar, right on the main drag." Jasper said.

"So, what is this hottie's name?" Emmett asked.

"Tanya."

"Even her name is hot. Way to go, Ed." he congratulated me.

I wasn't so sure. My bravado was failing and I immediately started having second thoughts. Maybe it was too soon, my divorce wasn't even final yet.

"Hey." I felt a punch to my arm. I looked up and saw Jasper eye balling me. "Don't over think this. Go. Have a drink or two. Talk to the woman. You don't have to marry her."

An hour later, Emmett brought the truck to a stop in front of Spotlight. The place really went out of their way with the neon lighting. There was a small group of people clustered together under a cloud of smoke. Off to the side of them, Tanya stood waiting for me.

"Go get her, Ed!" Emmett said as I opened the door.

"Hey, do you want us to bring your car back?" Jasper asked.

"Nah. I'll get a cab." I took a deep breath and stepped out of the truck.

Emmett sped off, but not before he tapped his horn a couple of times. That got Tanya's attention, and she started walking towards me.

"Edward." she smiled, giving me a quick hug. "I was so glad to hear from you."

"Hi Tanya." _Hi Tanya? What a dumbfuck._

"C'mon." she said, dragging me to the door.

We made our way through a crowd at the door, and found a table in the back. Our waitress came over immediately, taking our order for drinks and an appetizer plate. There was a bowl of peanuts on the table, and I grabbed for them, needing to busy myself to control my nerves.

"I guess it's my turn, huh?" Tanya asked, grazing my hand with hers.

I looked at her, confused. "Oh! Yeah, I guess it is." She was picking up right where our previous conversation had left off.

Tanya started talking, but I really wasn't listening to her. My focus fell on the stage, which was strategically placed about 40 feet behind her.

Bella and Jake were singing. Lady Antebellum's 'Need You Now' poured out of the speakers. Bella had a beautiful voice, while Jake's left something to be desired. The waitress brought our drinks and I sucked half of it down.

Realizing that I wasn't paying any attention to my date, I smiled at her, nodding my head as she spoke about her sisters. My eyes went right back to the stage when Bella draped her arm around Jake's shoulders. I felt my stomach twist at the sight of it.

The crowd in front of the stage shifted, so I scooted my chair a couple of inches in order to still be able to see them clearly. The song was so full of emotion, and you could see the bond that Jake and Bella shared.

They finished with a flamboyant bow and left the stage. I found myself scanning the crowd to see her again. I felt Tanya's hand on my arm, stroking back and forth. I looked at her and smiled.

"Sorry." she had caught me not paying attention.

"It's okay. Those two are really good. They sing here almost every week."

I finished my drink and got the waitress' attention for another. "Where were we?" I asked, trying to put Bella out of my mind. She was with Jake, and if that performance didn't cement it into my head, I'm not sure what would.

"How about a dance?" Tanya asked. "I'm tired of talking." she gave me a coy smile as she stood up.

"Uh... sure." Why the hell not? This is what I was here for, right?

Tanya laced her fingers with mine and led us to a small dance floor. There were a few couples dancing to the tune that a group on stage was singing.

I gently laid my hand on her waist, while holding her hand with the other. We swayed to the music for a minute before Tanya laid her head against my shoulder. I have to admit that her warmth and closeness felt good.

It also felt... awkward? I tried to remember if I felt this way when Kate and I first went out.

"So, I know that you are recently divorced." Tanya picked her head up off my shoulder. "How are you doing with all that?"

I balked at first, unsure how to answer. Her question seemed forward and I wasn't prepared to go into all of my drama.

"I am, too." she offered. "It's been a difficult adjustment, but I've come to realize that it was for the best." she admitted.

"My divorce isn't even final yet." I told her. She took a step away from me, coming to a stop.

"Is there a chance you'll work it out?" she asked warily. I laughed. It was more of a bark, really.

"No. Not a snowball's chance in hell." It was the one thing I was certain of.

"Oh." she smiled. "Good." Tanya resumed her previous place on my shoulder.

We danced for a couple more songs, then went back to the table for one last drink.

I talked about my plans for the therapy farm and Tanya talked more about her sisters. I got the idea that her and her sisters were attached at the hip. She even showed me a picture of them. The night was winding down, and I had to stifle more than one yawn.

"Let's get out of here." she suggested. I paid the bill and walked out with Tanya to the parking lot.

"This is me." she fidgeted nervously when we got to her car.

"Thanks for meeting me tonight, Tanya. I had a good time." It was my turn to fidget. Was I supposed to shake her hand now? Kiss her?

"Would you like me to drive you home?" she asked, wringing her hands together.

"No, that's alright. I'm gonna catch a cab." I pointed towards the street.

"Okay." she sounded disappointed. "I'm going to go then. Goodnight Edward, and thank you. I had a great time." She took a step towards me, tipping up on her toes. It was now or never. The first woman I have kissed, other than Kate, in 8 years.

I put my hands on her face and bent my head down, closing my eyes. I felt her lips touch mine. We kept it a chaste, closed mouthed kiss. Her lips were warm and soft, and I quickly kissed her once more before letting her go. She had an odd smile on her face and looked a little flustered.

"Okay. Good night." she giggled, opening her car door.

"G'night." I gave her a wave as she drove off, then walked up front to hail a cab.

After giving the driver my address, I sat back against the seat thinking about what had just happened. It certainly wasn't like I remembered a first kiss being. I guess it was just me. I _was_ severely out of practice.

It was late when I got back to Jasper and Alice's. I quietly made my way through the house and downstairs. I crawled into bed and closed my eyes, looking forward to a good night's sleep. They shot back open when I was bombarded with visions of Bella from earlier in the evening.

BPOV

I was storming around my bedroom, putting clothes away. The night had been perfect, until I saw _him. _Jake and I had both put in a long day and all I was trying to do was relax. We'd gone to Spotlight for our karaoke fix and just as we were finishing up our song, my eyes landed on Edward.

He was with a woman. I couldn't see her face because her back was to me, but he had a smile plastered across his, so he must have been enjoying himself. I don't know why I let it bother me.

Jake and I stood off the end of the bar after our performance, drinking some water. I watched this woman lead Edward onto the dance floor and felt my stomach knot up. I cringed as she laid her head on his shoulder and fought the jealousy as it welled up inside me. When she ran her hand up and down his arm, I'd seen enough.

"Let's go, Jake. I'm tired." He eyed me suspiciously.

"Don't think that I don't know he's here, Bella." he said, jerking his head towards the dance floor. "It's hard to miss that kind of man candy." he chuckled.

I huffed in frustration. "Maybe you should go cut in?" he suggested, waggling his eyebrows.

"Yeah, right." I scoffed, smacking him on the chest. "You'd have a better shot." I grumbled.

"Hey, it was just a suggestion!" he said, grabbing my hand. "Let's get you home, bb."

I followed Jake out but couldn't help myself from turning around and looking at them once more. Edward's hand was at her waist and I left aching to know what that felt like.

The drive home was quiet, and thankfully Jake wasn't pushing around the elephant that sat between us.

It had been such a long week and I was exhausted, but when I was finally in bed, all I did was toss and turn. I got up at one point for some water. Jake must have heard me, or maybe he wasn't asleep yet.

"Why are you still up?" he asked, as I walked by his room.

"I can't sleep." I uncapped my water and took a drink.

"Are you really stressing out this much over him?" he leaned against the door frame, crossing his muscular arms over his chest.

"Him, who?" I feigned ignorance.

_Pfft. Really Bella? Maybe Edward is right about you being childish._

"R-r-ight." Jake said cockily. "You've got it bad, Bella."

"All I can think of is Edward and that woman he was with." I sighed, looking at the floor. "What if he went home with her?" My voice was barely above a whisper.

Jake's face screwed up in disgust. "I don't think he was that into her, Bella. Besides, did you see that dye job of hers?" he tsk'd, shaking his head. I looked at him wide eyed. Was he really going to joke about this? "I'm sorry, honey. Just trying to put a smile on your face."

"It's okay." I mumbled

"Do you want to know what I noticed?" Jake bumped me lightly with his shoulder.

"Sure. What did you notice, Jake?" I figured he was going to give me an observation that he'd made about me.

"I think he was more interested in something else."

"Something else? Like what?" I asked, taking another sip of water.

"He couldn't keep his eyes off you, babe. I think you may have him all wrong."

I blew out that sip of water, all over Jake. Was he high?

"Shit, sorry." I said, wiping the water droplets off his chest. "You're wrong." I shook my head. "He doesn't think of me that way."

"We shall see, bb. We shall see. Go to bed." Jake kissed my forehead and closed his door.

I laid in bed thinking about our opening for the Children's area, trying to distract myself from thinking about Edward. And what Jake said about Edward. Maybe I needed to find a boyfriend, to distract me from Edward.

Maybe I just wanted Edward.

I woke up to a dark and dreary day. The crash of thunder made me want to bury myself under my blankets, and stay there until the storm blew over. I loved thunder storms, I just didn't like being out in one. I couldn't stay in bed, however. My parents were expecting me for lunch.

Today was my Dad's day off from protecting the wildlife in Phoenix and the surrounding areas. Charlie Swan, my father, was a lifelong animal lover. He has been an Arizona Fish and Game officer for 20 years.

I got my 'suffer in silence' gene from him. Which isn't to say that we suffered, or liked suffering. We just tended to keep things bottled up. Which is why the Fates graced us with my mother.

Mom could make a pot of coffee, produce a baked good almost out of thin air, and have you talking in under 15 minutes. She was my beacon and no subject was off limits with her.

I pulled into their driveway and cut the engine. The entire yard was sand and stone, with mom's art scattered around. Most of the pieces she produced were things people would use as yard art.

Her work shed was on the side of the house, near the back door. Mom's newest project was in full view, as the doors were wide open. Kinetic wind spinners, is what she called them. I had a feeling these would end up being quite popular at her roadside stand.

A voice caught my attention and I saw my mother standing with the front door open, waving me inside. I got out of my car, dodging raindrops, and met her at the door.

"Oh Bella, it's so good to see you." Mom sounded like I'd been gone for six months.

"It's been like two weeks, Mom." I laughed as I gave her a hug.

"How's the project at work going?" she asked, taking my wet jacket and hanging it up.

"It's great. We had a test run on Saturday and it went off without a hitch."

"Go say hello to your father, then meet me in the kitchen." Mom pushed me towards the living room.

"Hey Pop." I said, coming up behind his chair and wrapping my arms around his neck and shoulders.

"Isabella." he said happily. "What's shakin', bacon?" I had to laugh. My dad started saying that phrase to me and Corrine when we were little. It took him a couple of years after her death, to be able to say it again.

"Nothing much." I said, plopping down on the couch. "The exhibit opens tomorrow and Jake's show at Volterra starts Friday."

"Oh yeah. Your mom mentioned that we were going to that." My father liked to make it seem that he was unsociable, and only went where my mother led him. The truth was, he wouldn't let anything stop him from going to the gallery to support Jake. He thought of him as the son he never had, and proudly stood in absence of Jake's own father.

"Coffee's ready." my mom's voice beckoned.

"We'll catch up more at lunch." Dad said, patting my knee.

My mother was at the large island in the middle of her kitchen, pouring two cups of steaming coffee. It smelled divine. I pulled up a stool and blew lightly over the liquid before taking a sip.

"Jake tells me you have news." my mother said, as if she didn't already know. Jake and my mom were like two gossiping hens.

"I found a partner for the farm." I chose my words carefully, as I wasn't sure how much I was ready for her to know.

"Who?" she casually asked.

"He's a friend of Jasper and Alice's. Edward is his name. Edward Cullen." I took another sip of coffee and looked around the room.

"You're being very tight lipped about this. I hope you know more about him than just his name."

"I do." I smiled. One day I'll learn that my mother can see right through me. "He's a doctor, specializing in pediatric rehabilitation. He wants to turn the farm into a therapy ranch."

"Oh, I saw something on TV about those places. They do such great work." Mom's eyes were shining.

"That's what I hear. Edward gave me some websites to look at, as examples of what he has planned."

"So, this Edward...is he nice?" she asked, as a smile teased her lips.

"Oh Mom, just spill it. Did Jake call you or something?" The way she was acting, I knew he had to have spoken to her.

"Well, he may have said something about your new partner." Mom took a drink from her cup, looking at me over the rim.

"Okay." I decided to give in and tell her what she wanted to know. "Edward is going through a divorce. I don't know the specifics, other than his wife screwed him over somehow. He's thirty-something, 35 I think, and he is the most frustrating man I've ever met." I took a deep breath after my rant.

Rather than showing sympathy, my mother smiled at me. We sat there for two minutes with her smiling at me.

"Mom!" She was creeping me out.

"Jake's right. You've got it bad." she chuckled.

"Christ." I mumbled, setting my head on the cool granite counter top.

"Who's got what bad?" My father had perfect timing. He always appeared at just the exact time you didn't want him.

"Bella was just telling me about the gentleman that bought into the farm." she smiled as Dad joined us at the island. "He's a doctor." Dad looked faintly surprised and his look told me to continue.

"Edward Cullen. He's a good friend of the Whitlock's." I said, looking everywhere but at my father. Not that my dad would be upset, but I really didn't want him to know the whole story. He'd go into protective-father-mode, and I just couldn't handle that right now.

"He's going to turn the farm into a therapy ranch. Do you remember the program we watched about that?" mom asked him.

"I do. Sounds terrific. Your grandpa would be proud." He leaned in and gave my mom a kiss. "Call me when lunch is ready. I'm going into the den to check in with the station."

Mom watched my dad walk out of the kitchen, then got up to refill our cups. When she sat back down, she took my hand in hers.

"Your father is out of earshot now. Tell me." she said softly.

I looked up at her and felt the tears welling up and a lump forming in my throat. All this frustration was discombobulating me.

"I think that I, uh..." I cleared my throat, trying to swallow past the lump. "I'm developing feelings for Edward."

"And, you're worried about the impact that would have on your partnership?" mom asked, trying to ferret out the problem.

"I guess there is that." I barked out a sharp laugh.

"Is it his age?" she continued. "You know, that isn't such a big deal, right?"

I took a deep breath, composing my thoughts. "He doesn't like me." I said, simply.

"What do you mean he doesn't like you?" her brows furrowed. "Why would he not?"

"He _is_ older than I am, Mom. Edward thinks of me as a child. Naïve, at best." I admitted.

"Jake seems to think otherwise."

"Do you and Jake deconstruct and analyze everything that happens in my life?" I laughed, but really not finding it funny.

"Usually." she quipped.

"It seems like every time we have an encounter, we piss each other off." I huffed. "I don't know how to handle it, and I don't know what to say to him, or how to change his opinion about me." I sputtered.

"From what I've gathered, I think that Edward is going through a lot right now. His divorce, picking up and starting over in a new place, this new business venture." she speculated. "Maybe you need to cut him some slack, and perhaps talk with him. Not _at_ him, or _to_ him, but _with_ him."

My mother let me sit and absorb her words for a few minutes before starting to prepare lunch. She was right. I hadn't actually had a real conversation with Edward. Every encounter after that first meeting, had either been business or confrontational. I decided that I would try harder to get to know the real Edward Cullen.

* * *

**A/N: So? It wasn't that bad, was it? Edward was in a bad place still, at the beginning of this chapter, but he's making his way out of it. I think Bella will be looking at him with fresh eyes now, too. What did you think? I really want to know!**

**WIPs I am reading: (check them out and leave them your reviews)**

**Vancouver-Canuk-Girl: The Real Life of E A Masen-funny, smart, well written fic. Edward and Bella raising 3 teens as he trys to keep his secret of being a porn writer. Love this!**

**DreamofRob10:Another Life-Sweet Edward & Bella. A little angsty, but also humorous and sexy! I don't think this fic has much more before it's finished-go check it out!**

**TheQueenWriter: Out of the Blue and Bird Girl. OOTB-I can't get enough of this fic. Edward is one sexy beast-and a doctor! He's also desperately in love with Bella, and has been since they were teens. Gotta read this, if you aren't. **

**Bird Girl is just freaking hilarious. Outspoken, snarky, take no prisoners Bella. I love her in this one. We haven't seen too much of actor Edward yet, but he's awful cute!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: How many are still with me after Ch 5? lol I'm truly blown away at the response this little fic of mine is getting. Thanks so much to all of you for reading, alerting and reviewing. I'm honored that you chose to take the time! **

**No long preamble today. My dear friends (you know who you are) *bird*!**

**SM own Twilight and it's characters, I just make them confused and mislead.**

**Enjoy**

* * *

Walk

Chapter 6

EPOV

I'd gotten to the farm early Monday morning. Emmett said he and the crew would be there first thing. He expected a list of equipment that I'd need for the therapy side of this business venture.

I concentrated on my task at hand and searched for a pen to start my list. I was going to need special saddles, helmets and other safety equipment, advertising, a seating area for the parents... it went on and on.

I opened my browser and called up one of the therapy websites, where I recalled seeing a designer's contact info. I could use some professional guidance on this. I sent him a quick email to introduce myself, and wrote his name and number on my notebook.

The sound of gravel crunching under tires, told me that my supplies had arrived. I heard Emmett hollering instructions and went out to meet him.

He'd brought a couple guys with him and they were already starting to unload the material. I briefly glanced up at Bella's window, wondering if all the noise would be waking her up again. Not even a flutter of a curtain, but there wouldn't be, would there? I had already noticed earlier that her car was gone. Perhaps it was wishful thinking.

_I'm such a dumb ass. _

"So, Ed. How'd that date go Saturday?" Emmett asked, standing beside me as we watched his crew unload the truck.

I chuckled, thinking back to the parking lot at Spotlight. "Well Em, it was strange."

"Strange? You mean she likes to get freaky?" he asked excitedly, rubbing his hands together.

"No." I laughed at his enthusiasm. "Strange like, it felt like I was kissing my old Aunt Charlotte." Emmett's face fell and I think he turned a little green.

"Dude. That sucks." he frowned. "But I'd be tempted to kiss you're Aunt Charlotte if she was that hot!" he cackled, recovering quickly.

We started by hauling out all the old appliances, and while Emmett and I began tearing out counters, he had his guys gut the bathroom.

Other than the radio blaring, we worked in relative silence. When we took a break, though, Emmett turned the radio down and started asking me questions. Questions relating to what brought me here in the first place.

I gave him a basic overview of what had happened with Kate. It didn't feel as awkward talking about it with him, as I thought it would. I actually felt some of the weight of it come off.

"Edward, that is seriously fucked up." he sighed, when I was done telling him about how Kate fucked me over.

"Preaching to the choir, my man." I said in agreement, taking a swig of water.

"No wonder you're so down on the opposite sex. Then having that date with 'Aunt Charlotte'." He guffawed. "You need to find a real woman."

I realized that I did want to find that woman. Of course, Bella came to mind.

_Who am I kidding?_ She was always on my mind. But she was taken and had no interest in this old man.

I really didn't think of myself as old, but in relation to her, I was. 12 years separated us. She was just starting kindergarten when I was graduating from high school.

_Wow_.

That kind of put things in perspective, at least for a little while. Then my thoughts turned to how great her hair smells, and what her skin feels like under my fingers and how her eyes blaze when she gets pissed off.

Emmett hauled himself up off the floor and started in on the next counter we were taking out. Focusing on ripping the sucker out, helped me lose the semi I'd gotten while thinking about Bella.

On Wednesday evening, as we were finishing up for the day, Emmett pulled me aside from the crew.

"I'll be back on Friday to finish up the bathroom, but the crew won't be back until Monday. I have another job that I need to get finished."

"Okay, sounds good. I can start scraping the house to have it ready for next week."

"That'll work." Emmett said with a slap to my shoulder. "Hey, we're having a BBQ party next weekend for the fourth. You can meet Rosie and the kids. Jazz and the family will be there, too. I even think that Bella and Jake are coming. It's gonna be a blast!" he looked at me expectantly.

"Sounds like fun. Should I bring anything?" I offered.

"Just your suit and a towel. We've got the rest."

BPOV

After the talk with my mom, my resolve was cemented regarding Edward. I started a busy week, with no time to actually implement my 'get-to-know-Edward' plan. We had the grand opening of the children's exhibit Monday and Jake's gallery debut on Friday. I'd heard Edward working on the house, and saw him a few times as I left in the mornings, but that was it.

"Bella?" Alice cornered me. "Rosalie wanted me to ask if you and Jake were coming to the BBQ next weekend?"

"Yes," I sighed. "I forgot to call her. Jake and I were both planning on going. It's a holiday weekend, so the gallery will be closed on Saturday." I pulled my phone out and made a reminder to call Rosalie.

Thursday evening, I was able to get off work on time and made it home before Edward left. I went inside to quickly change and made a snap decision to invite Edward to a quick dinner. Maybe. If I could summon some extra courage.

I threw on a simple pair of faded denim shorts and a fitted scoop neck t-shirt. I ran a brush through my hair and touched up my makeup. I needed all the confidence I could get for what I was about to do.

I checked the cupboard and fridge to make sure I had the makings for soup and grilled cheese, then walked out the back door to talk to Edward.

After getting past the tall Honeysuckle bush that sat at the corner of my house, I saw him. Edward was shirtless, wearing a dusty pair of jeans that sat low on his hips. They sat that way because he was stretching, trying to reach a spot on the bunk house that needed scraping.

I watched the muscles in his back twitch and ripple as he reached the spot and scraped the peeling paint off. He settled back on his feet, shaking his auburn mess of hair. It was full of tiny curls of stripped paint.

I thought carefully about what to say to him, not wanting to sound snarky or like I was looking for a fight.

"Wow. It's amazing how nice the place looks without all the peeling paint." I came to a stop a few feet away from him, rocking on the balls of my feet. My arms and hands felt foreign to me, so I shoved my hands into my back pockets.

"I think it all landed on me." He laughed, bending his head over and brushing a hand through his hair. Rather than watching the dust storm that his actions created, my eyes zeroed in on his obliques. I watched a bead of sweat roll down his side and involuntarily squeezed my thighs together.

I let my eyes wander back up his form, and found him staring at me. _Busted_.

"So, how's it going?" I cleared my throat and gestured at the house and yard.

Edward eyed me warily, then started picking up the tools he had been using. I was feeling like an ass just standing there, so I began to help.

"Emmett and I are updating the kitchen and bathroom first." Edward said, walking towards the back door of his house. He opened the door and held it for me, nodding at me to go in first.

"Just drop that stuff right there." he said, letting the scrapers and screwdriver fall into a box that sat by the back door.

"C'mon, I'll show you." Edward gave me a smile that lit up his face. I followed him out of the mud room, and into the kitchen.

"Wow, Edward, that's a big stove." I commented. "It's like professional grade." I looked it over, even opening the oven.

"I don't do a lot of cooking, but I figured that I might end up having to feed some of my clients. Emmett suggested I get this." he shrugged.

"I think it's great." I let my eyes wander around the kitchen. The cupboards were in the process of being replaced and the new fridge still sat wrapped in plastic.

"Want to see the bathroom?" Edward asked me, sounding slightly nervous.

"Of course." I smiled.

After my quick tour of the renovations, things started feeling a bit awkward. It was now or never.

"Do you have any plans for dinner?" The words came out in a rush.

"What?" he laughed. "All I caught was dinner."

"Would you like to have dinner with me?" I asked more slowly. "Nothing fancy, just soup and grilled cheese." I offered.

"Uh..." he hesitated.

"That's okay." I said with a wave of my arm. "It was just an idea. I've been eating alone all week and finally got out of work at a decent time today." I began to back out, and turned for the door when Edward's hand on my arm stopped me.

"Bella." I turned to look at him. His smile set something on fire inside of me."I'd love to. I'm starving. Just let me get cleaned up a little."

I smiled, looking at him longer than was necessary. "Umm, okay. Just come to the back door. I'll be in the kitchen."

I scooted out of his house and practically skipped back to mine. I got the soup on the stove and heated my pan for the sandwiches. I kept looking at my arm to see if Edward's hand was still there. It felt like it was.

By the time I had the table set, and the last sandwich was ready to be flipped, I heard a strong knock on the old, wooden screen door.

"C'mon in." I told him. I gripped the spatula tightly when Edward stepped into my kitchen. He had obviously taken a quick shower, his hair was wet and sticking up in all directions. The t-shirt he was wearing fit snugly around his biceps. I noticed he was getting quite tanned, too.

_Yum_.

"Have a seat. This is almost done." I said, turning back to the stove. I didn't want to burn his food. "What would you like to drink?" I opened the fridge that was next to the stove. "I've got water, milk, beer..." When he didn't answer, I looked over my shoulder and saw him staring at something. I followed his line of sight and decided that it must have been the garish towel that hung from my oven door handle.

It had the logo and phone number of the flea market where my mom had a booth. I guess I kept it out of obligation. And I guess I needed to do a better job at hiding it. I thought it was buried under the rest of the towels in the drawer.

_Thanks, Jake. Now Edward is going to think I have tacky taste._

"Edward." I said to get his attention. "What do you want to drink?"

"Oh, sorry." He stammered. "Milk, please."

_Milk does a body good. _The dairy council would be so proud of me.

"Big, small?" I asked, the door to the glass cupboard open.

"Big please. This smells fantastic, Bella."

"It's just Campbell's and grilled cheese, but thank you."

I quickly ran over conversation subjects in my head, and was coming up dry. I didn't want to bring up seeing him last week at Spotlight. I wasn't sure if I was prepared to open that can of worms.

Instead, I took a bite of my sandwich and chewed it slowly. Edward scarfed a whole half of his, before speaking again. He looked up at me and smiled.

"I've been eating re-heated food all week. Sorry if I seem like a pig." he snorted. Edward snorting was just adorable.

"I don't mind at all." I went to get a spoonful of soup and immediately saw the error in my dinner choice.

I could, and probably would, drip some on my shirt. I can't seem to eat anything without something like that happening. And then there was the slurp factor. I didn't normally, but still. It happens.

I raised a careful spoon of soup to my lips, moving slowly and deliberately. I looked up over my spoon and saw Edward staring again. Was he just waiting for me to make a fool of myself?

"What?" I asked quietly, preparing for the inevitable patronizing.

"You have such beautiful li..er..hands." he said, quickly looking into his own soup.

"Uh, thank you." I said, somewhat bewildered. "I was once approached to be a hand model." I joked. "But I couldn't afford to insure them."

Edward stared at me for a minute then broke out in laughter. I knew it was dumb before it even left my mouth, but I couldn't help it. Although, I would make an ass of myself more often if I got to see Edward laugh like this again. He was beautiful.

"Good one, Bella."

The air seemed much lighter after that and we talked more about the renovations and the farm in general.

"I'll be able to stay out here just as soon as Emmett gets the rest of the plumbing done."

"Didn't you just take a shower?"

"I stuck my head under the kitchen faucet." he smirked.

"If you want, you can use mine." I offered, before thinking it through. That idea conjured all sorts of mental images.

"Em said it would be done by the weekend. So, anyway, if you want I can take over feeding the horses."

I looked at him blankly. Did I miss something? And did he just ignore my shower offer?

"Jake said that he was helping you out with feeding, until I could take over." he explained. I didn't know that he and Jake had had an actual conversation.

"Okay, sure. You can come out with me when we're done here. If you don't need to go."

"No, I don't need to go. I'm just going to end up back out here tomorrow."

Edward finished his sandwich and was getting to the bottom of his tomato soup.

"I made you two sandwiches. Would you like the second one?" I asked, scooting my chair back and standing up.

"Yes." he smiled. "Please." he quickly added.

I cut his grilled cheese before putting it on his plate, then refilled his bowl. Edward's eyes were on me the entire time.

"What?" I asked, sitting back down.

"This is nice. Not fighting with you, that is." he said.

"I agree." I said, still guarded. "I mean, I never meant to argue with you. That was never my intention." I explained.

"Me either." Edward sighed.

"Maybe we should start over?" I laughed lightly.

Edward stuck his hand out over the table. "Edward Cullen." he smiled.

"Bella Swan. Nice to meet you." I said, taking his hand in mine.

I was immediately struck at how Edward's hand was so much larger than mine. It felt rough from the work he had been doing, yet still soft and warm. As soon as I became aware of how long I had held his hand, my face started to heat up and I let him go.

"How is it staying with the Whitlock clan?" I asked him. I decided to steer the conversation to a neutral subject, just to be on the safe side.

"Pretty great, actually. They've been very gracious and accommodating."

_As opposed to what? Me? _I thought._ No Bella, don't go there. _

"Before we go any further, can I ask you something?" I said tentatively.

"Sure." he answered, before lowering his head to meet his spoonful of soup. I watched him as he licked a few drops from his lips.

"Well, it seems like, because of a couple of occasions when we've talked, that you have uh... an issue with my age." So much for neutral territory.

"Was there a question in there?" He smirked.

"Do you have an issue with my age?" I huffed.

Edward took a deep breath, looking everywhere but me for a moment, then landed his eyes on mine.

"I'm very aware of the conversations you're talking about. I apologize for being rude to you on those occasions, Bella. The only thing I can say for myself, is that at the time, I was in a bad place. I let my mood spill over and directed my frustrations at you." he gave me half a smile. That lopsided grin probably got him out of a lot. But not this time.

"Okay, I can understand that. You've had a lot going on in your life recently. You didn't answer my question, though." I brought my last spoon of soup to my lips, and felt a drop hit, just above the neckline of my shirt.

_Great_.

I looked down and saw a large red drop on the top of my left breast. I lifted my eyes to peek at Edward through my lashes, to see if he saw it, too. Of course he had seen it. The look on his face was vaguely familiar. His eyes were looking directly at the drip, his lips partly open.

"Nice." I chuckled, grabbing my napkin to wipe it off.

That seemed to break Edward's trance, and he brought his eyes back to mine. I arched an eyebrow at him, remembering he hadn't answered me yet.

"As for your age...well, in general, no. I don't have any issues."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that the only issue I have with your age is rather specific." he said. Cryptic fucker.

"Care to enlighten me?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Umm, no. Not yet. Don't worry about it, really. It has more to do with me, than you."

_Really? Was that like, 'It's not you, it's me'? And how could I not worry about this? _

"Bella, I can see your mind running in circles. You're right, a lot has happened to me in recent months, and I'm still coming to grips with it all." he said quietly. "Can you give me some time? I'd like to tell you all about it, but I need you to be patient." his voice was full of pleading sincerity.

I got up from the table and started collecting our dirty dishes, while I gathered my thoughts. He was asking me to give him time, but also saying that he wanted to open up to me. And that was exactly what I wanted.

I rinsed my dishcloth and stood beside Edward. I so wanted to run my fingers thru his now dry hair, but I resisted.

"I can be patient." I said simply.

I turned back to the sink and started to rinse everything for the dishwasher. Edward reached around me to add his glass, brushing his chest against my arm. My stomach flip-flopped and my skin broke out in gooseflesh. He seemed to linger there for a moment before opening the dishwasher and adding the dishes we had just used.

The whole process only took a few minutes, so rather than standing in awkward silence, I suggested we go out to the barn.

"There are three horses here that are boarders. Two of the owners come out fairly regularly, but Zeus' owner makes it out here maybe once every two weeks." I informed Edward, as we walked past his house to the barn.

"You're kidding. Zeus is a great horse, how could his owner ignore him like that?" Edward was clearly appalled.

"I'm fairly certain he bought Zeus as a status symbol." I admitted. "And when he is here, he rarely rides him. I don't think his horse likes him very much!" I laughed.

I showed Edward where all the supplies were and we proceeded to get the horses fed for the night.

"I pay a neighbor kid to come muck out the stalls. You've probably seen him."

"Tall, skinny kid?" he said, and I nodded. "Yeah, I've seen him."

"His name is Eric. He's a senior this year, so I might have to find someone else."

"I've put up flyers for volunteers to help me out around here after I get a client or two. I may have that covered for you." he winked.

_Edward winked at me. _I felt my knees go weak.

"Okay, that's about it." I said, dusting off my jeans. When I had straightened up, Edward was reaching towards me. Instinctively, I pulled my head back slightly.

"Hold still." he admonished me, but still smiled.

He plucked a piece of straw from my hair and tossed it over his shoulder. "Unless you were aiming to start a new fashion trend?" he joked.

"Oh yeah. I can just see Beyonce strutting down a red carpet with straw in her hair!" I smacked his stomach lightly. I immediately felt like I had taken a liberty that he wouldn't be happy with. I was wrong.

Edward grabbed my hand and pulled me a little closer, tickling my ribs with his other hand.

"No!" I shrieked. I was extremely ticklish. "Stop! Stop" I cried. Edward was relentless, and I had tears in my eyes from laughing when he finally stopped. I think we were both feeling a little awkward at this point. I straightened my shirt and pushed my hair back over my shoulder. Edward only smiled a crooked grin at me.

"I guess I should call it a night." I told him.

"Me too. I'm exhausted." Edward looked at his watch. "And Emmett will be here by 8 tomorrow morning." he sighed.

We walked out of the barn into the twilight. The sun setting cast a slew of colors across the sky. I took a deep sniff of the strong smelling creosote and sage that filled the air.

"I love that smell." I breathed.

"I do, too." Edward turned to face me.

His position had the purples and reds of the sky framing his head. I started to fidget before he gave my shoulder a light squeeze.

"I really enjoyed this evening, Bella. Thank you for dinner." he said quietly.

"I did, too. You're welcome."

"Sweet dreams, Bella." Edward turned and walked towards his house, then through the back door.

I felt like I was on cloud nine and considered the evening a success in my 'get-to-know-Edward' plan. I didn't learn a lot, but, the door had been opened.

EPOV

I could not have been happier with the way the day ended. I was shocked as shit that Bella approached me after she had gotten home. Even more so, when she invited me to dinner.

I have to admit, it was the best grilled cheese and tomato soup I'd ever eaten. And I admired the fact that she had the moxie to ask me about her age. I only hoped that she found my answer sincere.

I decided that I would stay at the farm tonight. Even though I knew I could drive back into town, I was so tired, I didn't want to. The toilet worked and I had water in the kitchen. I was all set.

I crawled up into the loft and stretched out on the old bed that was still up there. With a turn of my head, I was looking out the window just as a light went on in an upstairs room. I saw the curtain of long hair that was Bella, glance out the window before disappearing again.

I wanted to trust Bella. Everything in me wanted to trust her, but there was something holding me back. When a car pulled in and I heard it's door shut, I realized what was holding me back.

Bella's boyfriend.

I watched the musical light show that was going on in their house. First the kitchen. Jake grabbing something to eat, I assumed. A minute after that light went out, another room next to Bella's lit up. It was a smaller, dimmer illumination. Perhaps a small lamp, maybe a nightlight, I thought. Next, the attic lit up brightly and I saw shadows cast against the only visible wall.

I turned away from the window, not wanting to look any longer. I was trying to be respectful, though I don't think anyone would consider it voyeurism.

Bella had an easy air about her, something I hadn't really noticed before. While we ate dinner, she still seemed on edge some, but it was different. The whole thing had a very distinct vibe to it.

And that damn soup. I watched her lips purse to sip it into her mouth. I closed my eyes, lying my arm across my forehead. Behind my eyes I saw her pink tongue sneak out to lick at the traces of soup that ended up on her lips.

I almost choked when that drop landed on the top of her breast. The only thing I wanted to do was lick it off her. To be that close, to be able to breathe her in, to taste her skin.

My brain flipped to how I was almost caught staring at her ass, while she stood with the fridge door open. I wanted to feel it and find out if it was as firm as it looked. When she offered to let me use her shower, I just passed right by that one. I wasn't sure I could continue being a gentleman, if I took her up on it.

I groaned and turned back to the window. The light in Bella's room had changed, it was softer and dimmer now. I had the crazy notion to climb up on the roof and look in her window. I knew she was alone. Jake's shadow was still moving about in the attic.

I had planned on sleeping in my jeans, but all of a sudden, they had become very uncomfortable. This longing I had to be close to Bella was taking over my senses. My dick twitched just as I saw her light go out.

Did I just want sex?

Yes.

And no.

I want to have that intimate connection with someone who really knows you. To have that flutter in your stomach when you see them, or hear their voice. That someone who will have your back, no matter what. That someone I could trust implicitly.

I wanted that person to be Bella.

I woke up with the sun streaming in through my loft window. I had no idea what time it was, only that it was early. Rolling away from the bright invasion, I hauled myself out of bed. I had the foresight to pack some extra food in my cooler. The only thing I was missing was coffee.

I found the next best thing and opened a bottle of sugar and caffeine laden soda. After sucking down half the bottle, I splashed some cold water on my face from the kitchen sink and finally looked at my watch. 6:45.

Feeling like I was at least half awake, I went out and sat on the back stoop to put my boots on. The birds were chirping loudly and the smell in the air was faint with Honeysuckle and creosote.

My plan was to feed the horses, but the creak of a door stopped me before I could rise from the step I was sitting on. Bella was on her way to the barn. Her hair was a mess, like she'd just gotten up, as well. She had on shorts, a zip up hoodie and a pair of shit kickers. Crazy combination, but it looked great on her.

"Good morning." I called out, hopping off the step.

"Christ!" Bella yelped. "You scared the shit out of me!" her chest heaved, as she put a hand over her heart.

"Sorry." I laughed.

"What the hell are you doing here already?" she sounded irritated as she tried smoothing her hair.

"I stayed here last night. Too tired to drag my ass back to Jazz's place." I explained.

We continued walking to the barn and commenced the morning feed of hay and fresh water.

"Do you want breakfast?" Bella asked. "I don't know what kind of supplies you have with you."

I really wanted to accept, but Jake was home and that, to me, felt like overstepping my bounds. Like I hadn't done that already? I shouldn't have tickled her last night. My fingers were itching to feel her again.

"Nah. Thanks anyway. I have some food. Coffee would be great though. Think you could fill a thermos for me?"

"Sure. I started a pot just before coming out."

We finished in the barn quickly, and I veered off the path to go to my place and get my thermos. When I arrived at her kitchen door, Bella had the coffee carafe in hand, waiting.

"Are you guys going to slack off early today, being Friday?" she asked shyly.

"Probably." I said before taking a drink of the hot brew. "We're going to get the new tub and shower enclosure in, and I think that's it."

"Jake's debut is tonight. I was wondering if you'd like to stop by?"

I thought for all of a half a second. "Sure. Where is it?"

"Well, you remember that diner where we ran into each other?" I nodded. "It's where I was headed that day, down on the corner." Bella explained.

"Okay. What does one wear to a gallery opening?" I asked with a chuckle.

"Nothing too fancy. A nice shirt, slacks." she smiled. "The doors open at 7." she glanced over her shoulder. "I have to get ready for work. I'll see you later, Edward." Bella topped off my thermos, and disappeared into her house.

Emmett pulled in not long after I had eaten my breakfast that consisted of a banana and a few crackers. We jumped right into getting the bathroom finished. Emmett was a true professional at what he did, and it didn't take long before it was done. All my new bath needed was a good cleaning and some paint.

I helped him unload some beadboard we were putting up in a couple of rooms. All the while, he was talking about his kids.

"Emmalie actually asked me if she could go on a date with a boy." he said in an exasperated tone. "She's only 12 for Christ's sake!"

Having no experience with kids, I didn't have a response for him. I tried to _look_ empathetic, though.

"I told her over my dead body, and that if she asked again before she turned 16, she'd be waiting until she goes off to college to date!" Emmett said, completely serious.

I had to laugh at that. I suppose I might feel the same way.

"Okay, that about does it." he said as we leaned the last of the paneling against the wall of the living room. "I'm headed home. The kids are with their grandparents until tomorrow. I'm going to spend some quality time with my wife before the gallery thing tonight." Emmett's eye brows danced as he spoke.

"Alright, I guess I'll see you later, then. I was invited, as well."

"Oh yeah?" he said, closing the gate of his pickup. "Well, alright then. I'll see you later."

I grabbed a bucket and started cleaning the bathroom. The dry wall dust was everywhere and it took me over an hour to get everything wiped down. Deciding that I'd done enough for the day, I grabbed my stuff and headed back into town.

I found the ironing board and set it up before getting in for a well deserved shower. I was starting to feel a little skeezy for going to this thing of Jake's. The more I thought about it, the worse I was feeling. Bella will be there, supporting her boyfriend, and I would be there perving on her.

_Yeah, I'm the man._

Seven o'clock rolled around so I decided that I couldn't stall any longer. Alice and Jasper had already been home to get ready, and left, leaving the kids with an older neighbor for a few hours.

I parked and walked up the sidewalk to the gallery. There was a gathering of people outside the door, and I politely made my way through.

Picking up a flier at the front door, I scanned the faces for someone that I knew. I saw Bella and Jake off in the far corner, speaking with a few people. Bella had her arm linked with Jake's. I turned and found Jasper and Alice viewing one of the displays.

"Looks like a good turn out." I observed as I stood next to Alice.

"It is." Alice agreed. "This may just be Jake's big chance." she said excitedly.

I couldn't gather the enthusiasm that she had. I didn't wish anything bad for the guy, but at the same time, his mere presence cheesed me off.

We moved around the room looking at all the pieces Jake had on display. I kept a stealthy eye on Bella the whole time.

She looked absolutely gorgeous. She was wearing a dark blue dress that was sleeveless, but had one shoulder, instead of being completely strapless. It was covered in sparkly sequins and hugged her in all the right places. I watched as she fiddled with a tendril of hair that hung out of her swept up hair.

Stunning.

At eight on the nose, a man who I assumed was the gallery owner gathered everyone together.

"Thank you all for coming to the viewing tonight. And now, the man of honor, Jacob Black." he stepped away, clapping wildly along with the crowd.

"Thank you everyone. Thank you." Jake waited for the clapping to subside. "This is a huge honor for me, and I wanted to thank a few people, without whom, I wouldn't be here. Renee and Charles Swan. They've supported me for many years and have become a second set of parents for me." the crowd glanced around the room.

"My mother, I owe you everything." he blew a kiss into the crowd. "Bella. The only words I have for you, sweetheart...I love you." Bella smiled, looking at him proudly.

"And Seth." he sighed. "We've been through a lot together, but you've made this journey so worthwhile." I couldn't discern who 'Seth' was in the throng of people. "Again, thank you all for coming." Jake's smile almost required sunglasses. He moved back over to Bella and the guy who I assumed was Seth. I watched as he double kissed both their cheeks.

_Huh. Must be an artist thing._

I didn't really care to make the tour of the showing with the artist, so I grabbed another glass of champagne and milled around with the rest of the crowd. Until I felt a tap on my shoulder.

I turned to see an eager pair of eyes, a twitching mustache, and Bella. These had to be her parents.

"Hello." I said as graciously as possible.

"Edward, I'd like you to meet my parents. Renee and Charlie." her voice had a nervous edge to it.

"Mr. and Mrs. Swan, nice to meet you. I'm Edward Cullen." I extended my hand to both of them in turn.

"Edward, it's so nice to meet you." Renee gushed.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Cullen." Charlie practically grumbled. _Had I already done something to piss this guy off?_

I didn't stay much longer after that. Jake was constantly greeting people, kissing them and being all touchy-feely with each and every one of them. Bella was mostly right at his side. I heard Emmett somewhere in the crowd, but I needed to get out of here.

I figured that I had made an appearance and that's all that mattered. I tried to make my escape unnoticed, but Bella stopped me, with Jake in tow.

"Edward, I was surprised to see you here, but thank you so much for coming." Jake said, shaking my hand.

"I was honored to have been included. You have some great work here." I said in my most complimentary voice.

"Are you leaving?" Bella asked, almost sounding sad.

"Yeah. It's been a long week and I am headed back to Jasper's for some rest."

As I walked to my car, I hoped that Jake wasn't going to hate me for what I planned on doing when I got home. I was going to jack off to his girlfriend again.

* * *

**A/N: Ok, you've got to have something to say after this chapter! Poor, misguided Edward. But, you do realize that no one has been present ANY time that he's spoken to Jake, right? Other than just now, at the gallery. He has no idea, and there's been no occasion for anyone to tell him. Still, this chapter was a step in the right direction, yes? Let me know what you think! As always, thank you for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I believe I responded to everyone's reviews, if somehow I missed yours, my apologies. For those of you who either were anonymous, or have their PM's disabled, I thank you, as well! I'm giddy with excitement over the response this is getting. Thank you all, so much!**

**My BFF's: I really appreciate the support you give me, as well as your eyes! (and finger... *flip*)**

**I do not own these characters, they own me.**

* * *

Walk

Chapter 7

BPOV

If the pile of business cards on our kitchen counter was any indication, Jake's debut had been a success. He had even been approached by a local businessman who wanted some of Jake's pieces to adorn his lobby.

I had a feeling that my mother was going to have to find another protege. I couldn't be happier for him, though.

I watched a group of kids as they walked around the new hands-on stations. There had only been a couple of small glitches since the opening, and so far, the stations as a whole, had been well received.

I hadn't had the chance to say more than 'hello' to Edward since the weekend. He had stayed only a couple of other nights since that first one. I wanted to check on their progress and find out when he'd be there full time. I was starting to crave his presence more and more. Tuesday ended up being a short day and I was able to get home well before dinner time.

I pulled in and cut the engine, scanning the yard for a sign of Edward. Emmett's truck was backed up to the front door, so I assumed they were inside.

My grandmother used to say that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach. I'm not sure if that's true, but sustenance of any kind, is a sure way to get in the front door. Or the backdoor, which is where I was headed with my icy cold lemonade that I had made before leaving earlier. I made sure to grab a few plastic cups, before heading over to Edward's.

I heard some thumping around and hushed voices, so I made my presence known as I walked in through the kitchen.

"Hello?" I called out. I noticed that the new cabinets were all in place, and that they had put down new tile. It was a subtly patterned light grey with deeper shades of grey in the design.

I stepped into the living room and glanced at the doorways that led off to other rooms. I didn't see anyone. Then I heard a thud from the loft area.

"Yeah, so, the more parties she has, the more toys she gets for free. It's a win-win situation, man." Emmett spoke.

"Hello? Edward?" I called again, not wanting to hear anymore of _that_particular conversation.

Hearing my voice, all noises ceased for a moment.

"Bella?" I heard Edward ask.

"Uh, yeah. I brought some cold lemonade. I thought you guys might like it."

_Could I sound anymore lame?_

"We're just about finished getting this bed set up. We'll be down in a minute." he answered.

"Okay, take your time. Mind if I look around?" I asked, already headed for the bathroom.

"Sure." Edward said.

Edward either had a new tub installed or they painted the old one. Regardless, it looked brand new. All the porcelain was a basic white, and the new fixtures were brushed stainless steel. It was like a new canvas, waiting for some color.

I peeked into the other two bedrooms and saw that nothing had been done to them, other than clearing out any old furniture that had been hanging around.

I heard the heavy steps of boots meeting stairs, and went out to join the guys.

"Bella!" Emmett said warmly.

"Hey, Em. How've you been?" I asked, being polite. Edward stood next to him smiling with his arms crossed over his chest. It made his biceps look even more delectable.

"I'm great. Where's that lemonade?" Emmett smiled brightly.

I pointed over his shoulder and we all walked back into the kitchen. I hoisted myself up to sit on the counter, while the men helped themselves.

I watched both of them take big gulps of their drink. Edward licked his lips and smiled.

"This is delicious." he said, taking another drink.

"Bella, please tell me that you're bringing your famous baked beans this weekend?" Emmett pressed his hands together, the cup still between them.

"As a matter of fact, I am. Along with fruit kabobs for the grill." I chuckled.

"Fruit?" Edward questioned. "For the grill? I've heard of it, but never had it before."

"It brings out the natural sugars in the fruit and makes it so yummy." I smiled.

"Yeah Ed, it makes it _so yummy_." Emmett teased.

I kicked my foot out at him and made a face. Emmett always teased me. He was like the older brother that I never wanted.

"So far, everything that Bella has offered me has been superb." Edward's tone was innocent, but there was a twinkle in his eye.

_What the hell was that?_I wondered.

"And that's my cue to get the hell out of here." Emmett sounded uncomfortable. "I'll see you in a couple days, Ed. We'll get that beadboard put up in the bedrooms and office."

"Sounds like a plan. See you Thursday." Edward said.

"Bye Em." I said, as he kissed my cheek.

Edward walked with him to the front door, then came back to the kitchen. He gave me a curious look before sitting on the floor and leaning back against the wall.

"Tell me, what makes your baked beans so famous?" he smirked. I scooted back on the counter, and brought my legs up to sit Indian style.

"It's a secret." I joked. It got a smile and a head shake out of him. "No, it's really simple, actually. I use regular canned baked beans and add a few things to it before letting them bake in the oven."

"So, it's like refried beans, only they're re_baked_beans?" he chuckled.

"I suppose." I laughed.

"I guess I'll find out on Saturday." he said. Again, with that curious look.

_Was he flirting with me?_

"I'm glad you stopped by. I have a favor to ask you."

"You do?" That caught me off guard. "What?" I asked. I might just do anything he asked of me.

"Well..." he hesitated. "I need some advice, and maybe a little help."

"What is it, Edward? I can't help if you don't tell me." I laughed nervously.

"I need to go on a big shopping spree. For housewares, sheets and towels...that sort of thing."

"Okay. What kind of price range are we talking?" This wasn't so bad, after all.

"I guess mid-range. I need everything from pots to sheets." although his favor seemed simple, he sounded troubled.

"And... what? I'm sensing there's more, though for the life of me I can't fathom what would be troubling you about this." I pressed him.

"I suppose it's part of the explanation I owe you." he sighed.

"You don't owe me anything, Edward." I sighed. I didn't want him to tell me out of obligation, but because he wanted to share it with me.

"I've never had to buy this stuff before. Sure, I've bought a pan and some towels." he shrugged. "Most of my things that I had in college were given to me by my mom, though."

"It's not that big of..." I stopped speaking when he held up his hand. "Sorry. Continue." I said, zipping my lip.

"The thing is, I'm not looking for someone to do this for me. I want to do it myself, but feel that I need someone else's eye, more because of the decorating skills that I lack." he laughed lightly. "It all goes back to the same thing, though. Now that I have the opportunity to make my own decisions, I want to do it all." he shook his head. "Does that make any sense?"

I thought about it for a minute. He used to have a wife who made those kinds of decisions, and now he doesn't have to worry about her opinion. He can do whatever he wants, and has no one to answer to.

"Yes, it makes sense." I smiled. "When do you want to start?"

"Tomorrow would be great." He looked at me shyly through his eyelashes.

"I can be ready to leave work around two o'clock." I offered. I'd happily burn half a vacation day to spend it getting to know Edward better.

"Really?" he sounded surprised. "That would be great, Bella."

"I'm going to call Alice and let her know." I said, sliding off the counter. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"If not before." Edward laughed. He got up from the floor and stretched, his shirt rising a bit, giving me a peek of his happy trail.

I stared for a minute, letting my mind wander up and down that soft, silky looking trail. My breath caught in my throat, helping me to focus on the fact that I was not alone. I looked up and found out that I'd been caught eye fucking the man, yet again.

"Okay." I giggled. "Bye." I gave Edward a quick wave and got the hell out of there.

Trying to settle my raging hormones as I walked to my house was useless. I pulled my phone from my pocket, and called Alice, instead.

"Hey bitch." she answered.

"Fuck you, too, Alice." I snorted. "Are you still at work?" I asked.

"Just about to leave. What's up?" she asked distractedly.

"I wanted to give you a head's up that I'm taking a half day tomorrow."

"You are, huh? What's going on?" Alice asked playfully.

"I'm going to help Edward out with something." I tried to keep my voice calm and unassuming.

"Ohhh. So things are getting better with your new partner, then." Alice remarked cheerfully.

"Yes, things are better." I wanted things to be a whole lot better, but, one step at a time. I heard Jake pull in the driveway. "Hey, Jake just got home, I need to go talk to him."

"Okay, I have to go get the kids, anyway."

"See you in the morning." I said, hanging up. Jake was just coming through the door.

"So?" I asked excitedly. Jake had a meeting with the guy who wanted some of his pieces for his office.

"He bought four!" he whooped. "I'm going over with the delivery tomorrow to help place them." Jake said proudly.

"I'm so happy for you." I gave him a big hug. "You deserve this so much!"

"And, Seth's last final was today." he spoke of his boyfriend with a lot of love and pride.

"When is graduation?" I asked.

"Next month. He wants to do something to celebrate. How 'bout we go tubing on the river?" Jake suggested.

We've tubed down the Lower Salt river since we were kids. You can rent big tubes and float down the river for hours. We bring coolers and tie them to the tube and have our cold drinks and snacks float right along with us.

"That will be perfect, Jake!" I immediately thought of inviting Edward, of course.

"Will Seth be coming this weekend?" I asked him.

"With any luck." he snickered.

"Jake! TMI!" I yelled, smacking his chest. "I meant to the BBQ."

"He's coming by when he gets out of work, around four."

"By the way, I may be late getting home tomorrow." I didn't always tell him when I'd be late, I think part of me wanted him to ask why. He didn't fail me, either.

"And why is that?" he asked, sticking his head in the fridge, rummaging around for something to eat.

"Edward asked me to help him get a few things for his house." I pulled out a kitchen chair and sat down. Jake whipped his head around to look at me.

"Oh yeah?" he smiled. "What the hell happened to change that situation?" he stuck a bowl in the microwave and sat across from me.

"We talked. I had him in for some dinner a few nights ago, and we kinda made a truce." I admitted.

"And...? What else?" he pressed me.

"We're getting to know each other. It's been slow going, but, I think he isn't the jerk I originally pegged him to be." I shrugged.

"I'm glad to hear that. You need to get a piece of that." he said, nodding his head.

"Jake." I laughed. "We are nowhere near getting a piece of anything."

"Yeah, but you want to, don't you?" he patted my arm. "C'mon, admit it."

The microwave beeped and I got up, grabbing a fork from the drawer. I took his leftovers out and stirred it, before placing it in front of him, and sitting back down. Jake stared me down.

"Yes." I looked right back at him.

"Yes, what?" His eyes narrowed. "I want to hear you say it. Out loud." he smirked.

I sighed heavily. "Yes, Jake. I want a huge freakin' piece of Edward man cake. Okay?" I laughed.

"Yep, that's exactly what I wanted to hear." he smiled, taking a big bite of his dinner.

W

Then next morning, I took some extra time getting ready for work. A little added makeup and a bit more attention to my hair than normal. I didn't want to take a lot of time when I got home, thinking that Edward wouldn't want to wait on me.

By the time I stepped out of my office and onto the museum floor, I realized that I was really tense. I'd been clenching my teeth and was starting to get a headache from it. I wasn't necessarily nervous about this afternoon, but honestly, it was the only thing on my mind. I grabbed a pencil from my desk and put it between my teeth, biting down. My mother swore by it for relieving tension headaches, and it usually worked.

I was helping out with tours today. We had a few groups scheduled to come in and one of the guys who normally led them, was off. After spending a couple hours in my own area, I went up front to the docent's desk to wait for my first group.

EPOV

I had watched Bella come and go the last few days. I was staying out here now, working hard to get my home finished. I needed to have that done before we started on revamping the barn. Besides, I wanted to hold off until I could get a professional opinion.

I received an email from the designer I had inquired about. His name was James Chasseur. I wrote him back with my location and plans for the place, and he agreed to come out soon to give me some feedback.

I impulsively asked Bella to help me shop for the things I need for the house. I hadn't planned on it, but it was a way to spend more time with her, perhaps get to know her better. Not to mention that I had no idea what I was doing. And I could swear she was checking me out after I asked her to help.

She wouldn't do that though, would she? I was flattered by it and all, but at the same time, I wondered what her boyfriend would have to say about that.

I decided to meet Bella in town, rather than have her drive home, then turn around and drive back. Besides, my car was bigger and could hold more.

After parking, I walked to a nearby coffee shop then back to the museum. She had said that she was getting off at two, so I walked in fifteen minutes prior and found a seat near the entrance.

I heard the sound of kids and laughter. Looking in the direction it came from, I saw Bella round a corner with about a dozen kids following her.

She stopped at what was probably the last display on the tour. Bella spoke in a way that captured the kids' attention, but without speaking down to them. Her eyes sparkled as half their hands shot up in the air. She chose a little girl, shorter than the rest of her peers. When the girl stepped forward, Bella knelt down to speak to her. The little girl's face lit up in a smile, obviously liking whatever Bella was saying to her. When she stood, she thanked the kids and waved them forward to their waiting parents.

I watched Bella for a few minutes more, as she looked over some papers at the desk. She pulled a yellow pencil from her hair; it had been tucked just above the band that held her hair up. Bella put it between her teeth, toying with the eraser end.

That small, quirky act intrigued me. It was like I was getting to see a more personal side to her. Watching her play with something that was in her mouth, was leading me down an avenue that I would have no chance of returning from. I let my eyes wander down her svelte body instead.

She wore a deep blue button up top that showed off all her lovely physical assets. Toned, delicate looking arms, a long shapely neck. The small amount of cleavage that she had on display, was just enough to leave you wanting more.

Bella turned to speak to a colleague, and I was able to get a nice view of her backside. The blouse she was wearing was fitted, and clung to her sides, showing her shape rather nicely. Her hair was up in a pony tail, and I spied a little mole just below her hairline. I briefly thought about kissing her there.

The light grey skirt she wore was sexy as hell. I liked it, a lot. The hemline was just above her knee, showing off plenty of her gorgeous legs, and it hugged her hips nicely. I left her shapely behind for last. I could stare at that ass for the rest of my life.

The woman had my heart beating out of my chest. I was lost in the image of me running my hands up her legs, then squeezing her firm thighs. I could feel myself coming back to life whenever I was around her. I wanted to hold on to this feeling; I wanted to hold onto her.

Then I saw this big, tan guy with dark hair and a gleaming white smile staring back at me. In my mind, he stepped right in front of me, obscuring my line of vision.

_Fuck. Jake was the one who got to do all that. I guess I'd have to take what I could get._

I snapped out of it and looked around for Bella. She was about to go through a door that led to the museum offices. I hopped up from my seat and called out to her as I made my way across the floor.

"Bella." I called out. I didn't want to yell, given my surroundings. She heard me though, and turned.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised. I did notice her eyes light up, though.

"I thought I'd save you a trip back here by just meeting you." I shrugged. "I hope that's okay."

"Yeah. It's totally okay." she smiled. "I hope that other cup is for me." she pointed at my hand holding her coffee.

"Oh, yes. It is." I said, handing it to her. "I didn't know how you drank it, though. It's just black."

"Perfect." she smiled before taking a sip. Watching her lips pucker for the hot drink did things to me. "Let me get my stuff and I'll be right out."

"Sure. I'll wait right here." I watched her until the closing door barred her from my sight, then turned to face the lobby.

"Where do you want to start?" Bella asked when she returned.

"I'm still new here." I laughed, throwing up my hands. "You lead the way. I'll drive, though."

I opened the car door for her and waited as she pulled her legs in and got situated in the seat, before closing the door and getting in on my side.

Bella had me drive to this huge department store, Bath, Bed and Everything Else.

"One stop shopping?" I asked, turning off the engine.

"I doubt it, but you'll get a good start on it here."

We walked thru the entrance and Bella grabbed a cart. She scanned the aisle markers and turned in the direction of bath accessories.

"What color do you want the bathroom?" she asked as we walked past a mountain of throw pillows.

"Uh..." I stammered. "I dunno, blue?" Bella laughed at me.

"Do you know, or are you asking me?" she said with a smile.

"No. I want it blue. I like this color." I said, running my finger under the edge of her sleeve.

"Okay," she smiled again. "there should be plenty for you to choose from."

We turned down the aisle and I was faced with everything from shower curtains, to little cups for your toothbrush. I started grabbing all the stuff in the dark blue color of Bella's blouse.

"Whoa!" she said, putting her hand in the way of the blue bath mat. "Edward, what do you think about varying the color some? Maybe some lighter blues, to help with some contrast?"

Bella picked some items that were a couple shades lighter than my dark Bella blue. She picked up the shower curtain from the cart, and held them side by side.

"See?" she said, searching my eyes. "It makes both colors pop a little more. And with the stark white of the bathroom, these colors will both look great."

I studied the grouping for a moment, before she snatched it away again.

"Crap. I'm so sorry. It's your bathroom. You can have whatever color you want."

I snatched it right back from her. I could see her beating herself up over it.

"I happen to like the contrasting colors." I smirked.

"I'm sorry, Edward. You said you wanted to do this on your own." she fidgeted, biting her lip. I wanted to reach up and pull it from her teeth. Instead, I patted her shoulder lightly.

"This is why I wanted your help, Bella. Sure, I want to pick this stuff out, but I also don't want it to look like shit." I chuckled. "So, no worries, okay?"

"Okay." she relaxed her shoulders and smiled back at me. "Towels, next?" she asked, moving down the aisle.

We finished in the bathroom accessory aisles and headed over to the kitchen stuff.

"What kinds of pans do you have?" Bella asked as we reached a plethora of frying pans that hung on hooks.

"I have a scratched up frying pan." I used my hands to show her the size. "and a 2 quart pot with a lid." Bella tried to cover the giggle that slipped out.

"You said that you don't cook a lot, so you just need the basics." she noted. "Do you want stainless or non-stick?"

"Umm...yes?" I said. "I'm completely out of my element here, Bella." I admitted.

Bella studied the selection, picking some of them off the hooks and feeling their weight. I watched as she examined each one, turning it over to look at the bottom.

"My opinion would be that you need a good non-stick pan, and maybe a couple larger stainless steel ones. Do you tend to burn things when you do cook?" she asked. There wasn't a hint of humor in her voice; she was taking all this very seriously.

"Not usually." I said, wondering where she was going with this.

"Well, stainless is a really good option. I prefer it to the non-stick variety. But, you have to watch your heat when you use it. This thick bottom," she turned the pan over, tapping on it. "disperses the heat really well. If you have the flame cranked, you're going to end up burning your food."

"Duly noted. I'll take it."

Bella stood back and let me gather half a dozen utensils. The only suggestion she made was adding a vegetable peeler to the assortment.

"What about storage bowls?" she inquired. There was a big display on the end cap of this week's in-store special.

"Yeah, I need those, too." I grabbed a box from the top and looked it over. "These okay?"

"Sure." she nodded. "Some of this stuff you have to use and decide for yourself, Edward. I could stock your entire kitchen, but that wouldn't guarantee you'd like it."

"True. I can see that." I conceded.

The next two hours went like that. A package of flatware, a box of glasses, sheets, a toaster. Bella made a few suggestions, but for the most part, I picked everything out myself.

We browsed through a few more aisles until I heard Bella's stomach growl. She placed her hand over it and apologized.

"I didn't take a lunch because of the half day." she explained. I looked at my watch and was surprised to see that it was almost five.

"Time to feed the girl." I chuckled. I steered the cart towards the checkout area. "Let's get out of here."

Bella and I unloaded the cart and waited as the cashier scanned everything into the register.

"Oh, hi." Bella waved to someone in another lane. "I'll be right back." she said.

I watched as she walked around the end of the lane and over to her friend. She gave him a quick hug and peck on the cheek. They only spoke for a few minutes before she came back.

"That was Seth." she said. I heard her say something about Jake, too, but the cashier had finished and was asking me for payment.

I pushed my over flowing cart out the door and towards my car. Bella tagged along side me, carrying the bag of utensils.

"What do you feel like eating?" I asked Bella, as I started loading the trunk.

"Pasta." she smiled. "I'm pretty sure I have everything for it."

Silly girl thought she was making her own dinner.

"There has to be an Italian restaurant around here." I said, closing my trunk.

"Sure there is." Bella looked a little perplexed.

"Hop in. Do you want to get your car before, or after dinner?" I smiled.

"You don't have to buy me dinner, Edward." she told me as she buckled her seat belt.

"I don't think that I asked you about dinner, just about your car." I arched an eyebrow at her.

I put the car in gear, driving slowly to the signal light that led back onto the road. She seemed to be mulling it over until we stopped at the red light.

"Before." she simply said.

I liked that. No argument or feigned refusals. She totally understood that I intended on buying her dinner and that it wasn't up for discussion.

I turned towards the museum and Bella's little red car. I told her that I'd follow her, since I didn't know where we were going.

We parked side-by-side and I quickly got out to open her door.

"Thank you, but that isn't necessary." she said softly.

"Jake isn't going to be expecting you tonight?" I asked, ignoring her previous remark.

"I told him that I might be late." she spoke shyly.

I ushered Bella into the restaurant and we waited only briefly to be seated. It wasn't a fancy place, but it seemed nice enough.

Our server, a young man named Chip, brought us some water and menus.

"Order whatever you like." I told Bella. "My thanks for helping me this afternoon."

"Thank you, though you really don't need to feel obligated to." she smiled at me over her menu.

"Bella." I put a finger on the top of her menu and eased it down so she would look at me. "I _do_ appreciate that you took the afternoon off to help me. You didn't even have the chance to get lunch because I showed up at the museum. Besides, I'm starving, too. So, no more."

"Okay." she smiled and resumed perusing the dinner choices.

Our waiter came back to see if we were ready to order.

"Bella, would you like some wine?" I had no idea what her preferences were.

"Actually, I'm more of a beer kind of girl." she looked up at Chip. "I'll have a Corona, please. Lime on the side."

I'm not really sure what it was about that that turned me on, but it did. Her confidence, maybe? She never said what I expected her to say.

"Make it two." I said to Chip. "Also, I'd like the Antipasti plate* to start. Wanna share?" I asked Bella.

"Sure." she smiled.

As soon as we put our menus down, the appetizer plate showed up, along with our beer. Chip took our order of Chicken and Spinach Cannelloni* for Bella, and Linguine Pescatore* for me.

"What are you looking at as far as paint colors?" Bella asked, squeezing her lime gently and poking it down into the bottle.

We picked at the antipasti until there was nothing left, downing our beer, as well. I answered her about the paint, and we discussed furnishings for the rest of the house. It was a nice, easy conversation. Nothing like when we first started out.

I noticed that everything seemed easier with Bella. She made me feel at ease with myself and the world, as if the problems I had weren't all that big of a deal.

It was refreshing.

Our dinner arrived and I thought Bella was going to have an orgasm as she tasted her dish.

"Oh my god," Bella mumbled around a mouthful of food. She chewed slowly, then swallowed. "This is so good."

Every god damned thing she did was sexy as hell. I wonder if Jake knew how lucky he was.

"So, you grew up here?" I asked her.

"Born and raised." she smiled widely

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" All of a sudden, her smile faded. I'd obviously hit on something I shouldn't have. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry." I apologized.

"No." her head shook slightly. "It's alright. I'll tell you about Corrine."

Corrine... I remembered that name was part of her internet password.

"If it upsets you, please..." I laid my hand over hers. "It's okay."

Bella took a drink of her water and dabbed her napkin to her lips. She raised her eyes to mine and started talking.

"Corrine was my twin sister. My only sibling." she let that sink in for a beat before continuing. "When we were fourteen, she and I were riding a four-wheeler and hit a rock. I was thrown out of the way, but the machine landed on her."

"Christ, Bella." I sighed. "I'm so sorry I brought it up." I hated the sadness I saw in her eyes. They welled up a little, but she kept going.

"She wasn't killed right away. They performed surgery and she was on life support for a few days." Bella paused to compose herself. "We were given the choice of leaving her like that, with very little hope of any kind of recovery, or letting her go. We let her go."

Bella sniffled then excused herself to the ladies room. Leaving me feeling like a colossal ass. In all fairness, I had no idea. But still.

Thankfully, when she returned, Bella looked fine. I had the idea that she'd be in there sobbing and want to just run to her car.

"Sorry about that." Bella smiled shyly.

"Please. No apologies. That is an awful thing to happen." I placed my hand on hers, gently caressing it with my thumb.

"It's okay." she was trying to make light of it. Perhaps it made it easier to deal with.

Chip had uncanny timing, and stopped to make sure that everything was alright with our food, and asked if we wanted dessert.

"Bella?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows. I figured that I owed her some lightness, and hoped my playful attitude helped put a smile back on her face.

"No, none for me." she said with a small smile. "I am stuffed." she pushed her plate back and sighed.

"Nor me. I'll just take the check, please."

I left the Chipster a decent tip and paid the bill before we walked out to our cars. It felt a little strange, in that we were going to the same place, but not together.

"So, I'll see you at home?" Bella asked.

"Yeah, I guess so." I laughed. "Thank you so much for all your help, and for accompanying me to dinner."

"You're very welcome. I had a great time." she said. "We'll have to do it again soon. You still need a few more things." Bella giggled.

I waited until she had her car started before getting into mine. As soon as I turned the key, I was hit with the memory of the conversation Bella and I had at Mel's, when I had told her she had no idea what loss was.

I hit my head on the steering wheel multiple times. All the while, I saw the look in her eyes from that evening. I vowed to never be the one to put it there again.

* * *

*Menu choices courtesy of Carrabba's Italian Grill

**A/N: Ok, so no big reveal. Guess what? You and Edward will be put out of your misery soon. Or maybe, the misery is just about to begin? They needed some more bonding time, though, don't you think? I know, I know...SOMEBODY TELL EDWARD! LOL Eddie's not going to be kept in the dark much longer (should I have not told you that?) I don't want an angry mob hunting me down on FB. I'm there, btw, if anyone wants to come chat. Shannon Mustlovertp. See you next week!**

**P.S. Whoever it was that nominated Walk for Fic of the Week at The Lemonade Stand, thank you. It means a lot to me that someone, or someones, thought highly enough of my little story to do so! And a big thank you to those of you who voted for me!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Just in case any of you were afraid that I have hidden subliminal messages to push my right wing agenda on you- I have not, nor do I actually HAVE any agenda but to entertain and get these plot bunnies out of my head. I warn you, I have terrible writing skills and know nothing about my characters. *snort* **

**Seriously-I've never claimed to be a great writer, not once. Ever. So, making sure you know this, if you feel it's safe to proceed, please do. **

**You're going to have a short BPOV, then the rest from Edward. It'll be better this way. Trust me. **

**Song inspiration for this chapter: Tonight by Seether**

**Let's get to it.**

* * *

Walk

Chapter 8

BPOV

I sat in my car waiting, half thinking that I could help Edward bring in his purchases. I thought better of it, though. The guy might actually want some space.

I'd learned a lot from our afternoon spent together. He had a dry wit, and was much more easy going than I had previously given him credit for. I could also tell that he had made some progress in dealing with whatever happened between him and his wife.

He had a bit of a dominant streak in him, too. When he had his mind made up, he expected things to go his way. When he said that bit about 'I don't think that I asked you about dinner...' I think my panties twisted just a little. In a good way.

I like a man who knows his mind and isn't wishy-washy. Edward had a lot of layers to him, and I was willing to put in the time it took to strip them away.

Every time he touched me, it was like an electrical current raced through me from the tips of my fingers to the bottom of my toes. I was afraid he'd notice the goosebumps whenever it happened.

His finger under the edge of my sleeve, his hand caressing my shoulder or hand. I closed my eyes, trying to imagine his hands on my body. That line of thinking was only going to lead to one place, and I just might have to go there.

Jake had texted me to say he was staying over at Seth's. The boy still lived with his parents, and they were out of town visiting relatives. He had opted to live at home to save money while going to nursing school. His parents, in turn, handed over the basement to him.

I walked through the house turning lights off and locking the doors. I had a brief fantasy of someone attempting to break in, and Edward coming to my rescue. I laughed out loud at that notion. If that shit really happened, I don't think that thanking Edward by getting in his pants would actually be an option I'd choose.

Still though, it continued the train of thought that I wasn't trying too hard to dismiss. Seeing him shirtless, watching his muscles ripple with exertion, the countless little touches he gave me...it was all just a little too much to take and not do something about.

I was a healthy, young, red-blooded woman, who is currently extremely sexually frustrated. I owned a couple of sex toys, and I intended to use them tonight. Well, one of them, anyway.

I turned on my bedside lamp, and moved to look out my window. As I started unbuttoning my shirt, thoughts of Edward began coursing through my head. I could see his shadow moving around in the loft and started to let my mind wander where it wanted to go.

I slid into bed, wearing only my short nightgown. Pulling my bedside table drawer open, I found what I was looking for.

After turning off the light, I laid back on my pillows and closed my eyes, letting my hands wander up and down the silky gown. When my fingers brushed against my nipple, I felt it straight to my core.

Picturing Edward hovering over me, his head close to mine, whispering in my ear, I gently pinched them both, causing me to moan softly. I wanted to feel his hands on my body so badly.

I picked up my vibrator and turned it on. Fingering my clit, I imagined it was Edward's strong finger and not mine.

"Edward..." I whispered into the dark. Using my fingers, I spread my wetness around, readying myself.

"I want you so bad, Bella." my imagination answered.

Not wanting to wait any longer, I eased my vibrating, cock shaped silicone inside me.

Even though no one could hear me, I kept my moans and utterings quiet. As soon as I felt my orgasm start to build, I quickened my pace. Imagining Edward saying dirty things to me. Pounding into me harder, faster...until my body explodes beneath him.

I laid in my bed, catching my breath and allowing my body to calm itself. Reaching a climax felt great, but it didn't do anything to satisfy the longing that I felt for the man who inspired it.

Sighing, I got up and went into my bathroom to clean up. I allowed myself a last glance out my window. Edward's lights were all off.

"Good night, Edward." I spoke into the quiet darkness.

The next day, work was long and slow; one of those days that you think will never end. I had a hard time concentrating on my work. If it wasn't for the fact that I had to talk to people, I would have totally zoned out of there. The next couple of days weren't any better. We had a few people who were off early for the holiday weekend. I loved my job, but there had to be more to life than this.

I only saw Edward fleetingly in the morning. It seemed we were both on a similar schedule; I was leaving for work as he was headed out to the barn. I was really looking forward to the McCarty's BBQ; I really wanted to spend more time with him.

EPOV

I woke up the morning after my and Bella's shopping trip and realized that I had nowhere to put most of what I had purchased. I stacked the boxes and bags in the living room, then got started putting the kitchen wares away. I stood back and laughed. I had all this shit to eat off of, and use to prepare food, but very little actual food in the house.

I needed to go out and get the paint, so I decided to stop at the grocer, as well. I walked out of the home improvement store with eight gallons of paint and primer, and all the little goodies I'd need to get it on the walls.

When I arrived back at the farm, it was late afternoon and Bella looked like she had just gotten home. I saw her eye my overflowing trunk.

"Need some help?" she asked, grabbing some of the plastic grocery bags.

"I think I went overboard." I chuckled, mentally counting the bags still in the trunk.

Bella and I emptied the car and had all the food sitting on the counters and table in the kitchen. I poked through them until I found the bag that held the apples I'd bought. I silently offered one to Bella, which she accepted.

"Want some help painting?" Bella pointed at the cans sitting in the mud room, before biting into the bright green apple.

"Yes." I didn't have to think about it. I should feel guiltier about wanting to spend time with someone else's girlfriend. But, I don't. "Emmett and I are getting the bead board up first. We're doing that tomorrow." I added.

"Okay. I'm off on Friday. Let me know when you're ready." she smiled. "Thanks for the apple." Bella had a saucy little smile on her face. She threw me a wave and walked out the back door.

I got the feeling that she was flirting with me, and honestly, I didn't know how I felt about that.

Sure it was nice and flattering and somewhat satisfying, but she had a _boyfriend. _What the hell was she doing flirting with me? Maybe she was one of those women who liked toying with others? Or perhaps she was she bored with her boy toy and wanted an older man?

I decided that I didn't actually know that she was flirting with me or not. I really didn't know Bella and her moods well enough to make those assumptions. And, I'd just learned a little about assuming things. Bella losing her sister, her twin, in such a terrible way made me shudder with guilt over how I had treated her.

..w..

Emmett and I got the bead board up in the bathroom, my office and the loft area. Once done with that, the bathroom closet shelves went in; some molding in the living room and that was the last of it.

I wanted to get all the basics in place so all I had to do was paint and buy some furniture. Mr. Chasseur would be here within the next couple of weeks and I wanted the house to be all but done.

Friday morning came with a brief, but sudden down pour. After the morning feed, I veered off the path and went to Bella's back door. I knocked, but wasn't sure she'd hear it amongst the din that the rain created.

Cautiously opening the door, I stuck my head in and called out a hello.

"Yeah?" I heard Jake grumble. The door was pulled from my grasp as Jake yanked it open. "Get in here, Edward." he chuckled. He eyed me up and down, then reached for a pile of towels folded on the dryer.

"Jake." I nodded towards him. "How you doing?"

"Hey Bel-la?" he hollered, ignoring my greeting and tossing me a towel. "Edward is in the kit-chen." His sing-song voice and the way he looked at me made me slightly uncomfortable.

"I'm great, Edward. How are you?" he asked this as if he was thoroughly amused by something.

"Oh, hey." Bella smiled, obviously surprised to see me. "I'm just going to grab a little breakfast and I'll be over." Bella had pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as a glazed look appeared in her eyes.

"Okay." I looked back and forth between them as they stared at me. "Yeah, I was just stopping by to let you know that I'm ready. So, I'll uh, see you in a few." I pointed over my shoulder before turning and going out the door.

I shook off the weird vibe, along with the rest of the rain drops, when I got into the mud room. Scrubbing my boots on the rug, I grabbed two gallons of paint and headed into the house to get set up.

I walked into the bathroom to deposit a drop cloth and caught my reflection in the mirror. My thin undershirt was plastered to my chest, having been soaked by the rain. I quickly threw on a dry shirt and made an attempt to tame my hair.

Twenty minutes later, Bella walked in. I'd already gotten the living room floor covered with a drop cloth and had everything else ready.

"What's the plan?" Bella bounced on her toes as she spoke. She had her hair in a high ponytail and it was swaying back and forth. I watched as she glanced at my chest, then quickly back to my eyes.

"Why don't you start over here?" I stepped over to where I had a pan of paint waiting. "Choose your weapon." In my hands I held a roller and a brush.

"I'm gonna need a ladder." Bella smiled at me, grabbing the brush. I stepped into the room that would be my future office and brought the ladder out. "Got a radio or something?" Bella asked, stepping carefully up the ladder.

After setting up the radio, I got to work, trying desperately not to ogle Bella. There she was, high up on the ladder, wearing tight denim shorts. The stringy frays dangled down her creamy looking thighs. It didn't help that she was be-bopping along to the music. I had an overwhelming feeling to walk over and smack her ass.

We fell into an easy conversation about movies that we liked. It turned to music and books soon after. She and I had a lot in common, and that surprised me, given her age. I'd have thought Bella would be more into Top 40 pop, rather than modern rock. I found that she was always surprising me.

We finished with the living room and moved into the spares. Bella suggested that she do the cutting in around the windows and such while I did the rolling. It saved some time and we had finished with the office by the time lunch started calling.

"Emmett told me I didn't need to bring anything tomorrow, I'm not so sure about that." I had made us sandwiches, and we were sitting across from each other on the living room floor.

"All I'm bringing is the beans and fruit kabobs." Bella shrugged. "Why don't you bring s'more makings?" she suggested. "I don't recall hearing anyone mentioning those."

"For how many? I have no idea who will be there."

Bella closed her eyes, calculating. I watched as her fingers popped up one by one. She opened one eye, then the other, giggling when she saw me watching her.

"Fifteen, I believe." she smiled. "I doubt everyone will want one, though."

"Okay, I can handle that." I had to stop my hand from reaching up to her face and brushing a few stray hairs away. I just felt so comfortable around her. It was a very peaceful, easy feeling.

"Let's get these last two rooms done. I need to get my food ready for tomorrow." Bella said, jumping up from the floor.

I didn't move quite as fast as she did getting up, but I picked up our plates, then met her in the spare bedroom.

The room was pretty small so it didn't take long, and all that was left was the bathroom. Both of us in there was a tight squeeze. Bella decided she'd do the portion above the tile in the shower area, so I brought in the ladder.

I had bead board in here that I was keeping white, so it was just a few small areas that needed the grey-blue paint I had picked out.

Bella finished her area, and was stepping down when she lost her footing. She fell into me, her brush swiping across half my face and down my shirt. I caught her in my arms before she could hit the floor.

I'm absolutely positive that my hand smooshed into her breast. There's no mistaking the feel of boob in your hand. As much as I wanted to extend my groping, I steadied her on her feet and made a joke.

"Smooth move, Grace." I teased, flicking my brush at her. Only a few tiny drops hit her face.

Nothing like deflection to get you out of a sticky situation.

I watched Bella's nostrils flare ever so slightly. She moved those few stray hairs away from her face with the back of her hand and huffed out a breath.

"Nice catch." she smirked and sauntered out of the room.

_Fuck me. The woman just called me on the boob grope._

"I'm going to get going." Bella called to me. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Something in her voice made me think that I might be getting a payback tomorrow.

..w..

I had stopped along the way to Emmett and Rosalie's place to get the s'more fixings. I picked up a case of beer and while standing in the long ass checkout line, I saw a display half full of two foot long sparklers. Thinking that the kids would love these, I grabbed what was left and waited for my turn to check out.

My GPS guided me to the McCarty residence without incident. I found a place to park and gathered everything I had brought. With a bag in one hand, the sparklers under an arm and the case of beer in my other hand, I made it around the corner of the house.

The scene before me was idyllic. Kids running around laughing, chasing each other. The women were by the pool and Emmett and Jasper were standing by the grill, beers in hand.

"DAD!" a young boy yelled when he spotted me. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked in my direction.

I continued walking towards Emmett and Jasper, saying hi to the kids along the way. As I got closer, I got a better look at Bella. She was lying on a floating chair in the pool. I must have stumbled on an invisible rock. Or it may have been my bottom lip, because my mouth was hanging open at the sight of her.

Bella was wearing a bikini, but the only thing I saw was skin. Long, shapely legs. Delicate, toned arms. Kill me now. I chanced a look at her face and she seemed awfully pleased with herself. She had a coy little smile on her lips. I couldn't see her eyes though, they were hiding behind a pair of sunglasses.

"Edward! You made it." Emmett's hand on my back brought me sharply back to reality. "What'd you bring?" he asked, taking the bag from me. Jasper reached for the case of beer that was dangling from my fingers.

"Rosie! Get your sweet butt over here! Kids!" Emmett hollered.

He made the introductions and I was an instant hit with the kids because of the fireworks I had brought.

"The food won't be ready for another hour or so, Edward. Make yourself comfortable." Rosalie said graciously. "Did you bring your suit? The water is great."

"Yeah, I did." I said, looking over her shoulder towards the water. It was then that I saw Jake was here, too. He was splashing Bella.

"You can change in there." She pointed over her shoulder at the pool house. Rosalie had leaned her upper body slightly, in an attempt to regain eye contact with me. She had a playful grin on her face when I looked back at her.

_Oops._

"Uh, okay." I cleared my throat. "Thanks a lot for having me, Rosalie."

"Mmhmm. No problem, Edward." Rosalie eyed me for a moment, and I swear, by the look on her face, that she could read my mind.

I didn't sit and openly ogle Bella the entire afternoon. I did it stealthily. While playing with the kids, I watched her and Jake playing around in the pool. As we ate, I'd peek at her when I thought she wasn't watching. I was really beginning to feel like a world class letch for crushing on this girl.

"So?" Bella asked me after I had taken a bite of grilled pineapple. She had taken the empty seat next to me.

"It's really good." I said, trying not to have food fly out of my mouth. She wore a smug grin. "I won't doubt you anymore." I laughed.

"Bella! Come help me!" Jake all but screamed. He and a few of the kids were playing in the pool.

"I'll talk to you later." she smiled. I watched her walk away, dropping her towel on a chair next to the pool and jumping in.

She and Jake seemed to be having a really good time. I decided that I should, too, rather than stealing glances at her like a chump.

I joined Emmett, Jasper and the kids at the horseshoe pit and got completely caught up in the festivities.

After horseshoes, I played tag with the kids. They dog piled me at one point. I was lying on the ground at the bottom of the heap and caught Bella watching me. She had her head together with Alice and Rosalie's.

You know that feeling you get when you catch someone talking about you? Yeah. That's the feeling I had.

"I'm here!" I heard someone squeal. I rose from the ground after the kids fell off me and saw the guy that Bella had spoken to the other night at the store. Seth, if I remembered correctly.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get here earlier. Someone was late, so of course, I had to cover!" he sighed dramatically.

Everyone went over to say hello, myself included, though I held back some. I grabbed a beer from the cooler and stood patiently for someone to make the introductions. Apparently, none were needed for him. The crowd around him had dissipated, and he walked over to me.

"You must be Edward." he said, emphasizing the 'you'. He eyed me up and down. "They were right. You are delicious."

I was struck dumb. I had no response to him but a stutter. One, he was obviously gay, which I didn't have a problem with, it was just unexpected. Two, and more importantly, people had talked about me, saying that I was 'delicious'?

"Umm, thanks?" I finally said, finding my voice.

"No problem, Edwardo." he smiled brightly.

"Hey, Ed!" I turned towards Emmett's voice. "Ready for round two?" he held up a spatula with a juicy looking burger sitting on it.

"It was nice meeting you." I said with a nod and walked over to Em and Jasper.

Dusk was settling in and the kids were getting antsy about the sparklers. They had already gone through the packages of poppers they were given.

I took my burger and found a chair to watch the kids. Emmett joined me soon after, dragging his own chair next to mine. Jasper and Alice were lighting the sparkle sticks while Rosalie and Bella watched from poolside.

Hoots and hollers filled the evening air as the kids enjoyed the crackling sparks. They waved them around in circles, and above their heads. Steffie, Em and Rosalie's youngest, cried out in pain and flung the stick away from her. Emmett jumped from his chair and raced to her. He comforted her for a couple of minutes, kissed her finger and started back across the lawn.

"There's one every year." Emmett sighed, sitting back down.

"She's okay?" I asked, hoping she wasn't burned.

"Yeah, she's fine. Look." Em pointed at Steffie. Her tears had dried and she was working up the courage to grab another sparkler.

I smiled and shoved the last of my burger into my mouth, letting my eyes roam across the yard. Everything kind of went into slow motion. I was swallowing at the exact moment I saw Jake full on _kiss_ Seth. Mouth, tongue...kissing, in the pool. Their arms were wrapped around each other tightly.

I realized that I couldn't breathe and tried to cough. I started choking, my hands gripping the arms of the chair. I felt Emmett's strong hand pounding my back. Tears were streaming down my face as the errant piece of meat dislodged from my throat.

"Holy shit, dude. You okay?" he asked, handing me my beer.

I took a couple swigs, making sure my airway and esophagus was clear. After a few deep breaths, I looked at the pool again to confirm what I saw. Jake and Seth were now sitting on the side of a lounge chair talking with Alice and clearly, they were _together_. As I watched them laugh at something one of them said, Jake wrapped his arm around Seth and kissed the side of his head.

"Holy fucking shit." I said quietly. Not quietly enough, however. Emmett followed my gaze, then looked at me accusingly.

"You're kidding me? I would have never taken you for a homophobe, dude." his tone was full of disappointment.

"Homo...what?" I sputtered, trying not to garner any more attention. "Hell no, I am not!" I hissed.

"Then what the fuck, Edward?" Emmett's brows were furrowed and he still looked angry.

"I didn't know." I simply said.

"You didn't know what?" he followed my line of sight again, this time directed at Bella, who was talking to the twins. She had put on a pair of shorts, but still had the bikini top on.

Emmett looked back and forth and I could see him puzzling it together. A huge smile over took his face and he started laughing. _Really_ laughing. He was gasping for breath by the time he was through.

"You didn't know that Jake was batting for the other team?" he choked out.

"Nope." I said sheepishly.

Little things started coming back to me. Scenes I had witnessed, the way Jake looked at me a couple times, comments he had made. I leaned over and buried my head in my hands and groaned.

_That changes so many things, in so many ways._

"So what the hell did you think?" Emmett asked, his face still held a look of amazement.

"I _thought_ that Jake and Bella were, uh, together." I lifted my head slightly to look at him.

"Jake and Bella?" he spouted. "Like boyfriend and girlfriend, living together?" his amusement with this situation was starting to piss me off. I felt like an idiot.

"Yeah, Em. Exactly." I said, falling back against the chair.

"I was wondering why you hadn't gone after her." Emmett said wistfully. "Makes sense, now."

"Really?" I said in surprise. "You, uh, don't think there's anything wrong with it?" I asked, hoping for some advice.

"You mean the age difference?"

I nodded.

"No." Emmett sat up, resting his arms on his knees. "Go get some happiness, dude." he looked up at Bella, who now had her own sparkler.

Jasper came over and sat on the grass.

"What the hell was that all about a few minutes ago?" he asked, cracking open a beer.

"Dude." Emmett cackled. "He didn't know that Jake was gay!" he told Jasper in a loud whisper.

"You didn't?" Jasper said dumbly.

"No." I sighed, shoving him in the shoulder. The dumbass should have said something.

"Well, now that you know, are you finally going to do something about Bella?" he said matter-of-factly.

"How is it you both know that I like her?" I asked, feeling decidedly out of my element.

"I've worked with you for days. Do you know how many times you bring her up?" Emmett asked, incredulous.

"She's been watching you all night, too." Jasper added.

_Well, fuck me sideways. _

"I need another fucking beer." I sighed, getting up to get it.

I walked across the lawn, side stepping the rowdy kids. I saw Bella start moving towards me out of the corner of my eye.

"Having a good time?" she asked, lifting the lid of the cooler.

"I am." I smiled, seeing her in a slightly different light now. I took two beers, opening both and handing her one.

"S'more time!" Rosalie yelled.

There was a contained fire pit and everyone was scrambling to get around it.

"Want to sit with me?" Bella asked shyly, looking around at the three other couples.

"Yes, I would." I smiled and held out my arm for her to lead the way.

Bella and I squeezed in around the fire. The smaller kids sat on an adult's lap in order to make room for everyone, though it was still a tight fit. I felt an invisible force within the small space that separated Bella and myself. Like steel moving towards a magnet, rather than the other way around. She was pulling me in.

The grahams, chocolate and marshmallows were passed around the large circle. Seth hopped up and handed out the few sticks they had. There wasn't enough for everyone to have their own, so some of us had to share.

I held the stick so Bella could spear a marshmallow on it, then handed her the other end so she could toast it to her preference. She had a cute little smile on her face and looked at me nervously.

I think her expression mimicked my own. I felt giddy and nervous; much like I did that first night I had met her. This was all different now. Bella was unattached and those times that I thought she was flirting with me, she very well could have been.

Part of me wanted to pick her up and swing her around, reveling in the joy of this discovery. Rather than making an ass of my self, I smiled warmly at Bella. She smiled back and raised the stick, offering me the roasted mallow.

Dipping my head down to the stick, I made to bite it off the end. Bella's hand flinched slightly and it smashed against my nose. That sent her into a fit of giggles.

Just as I was about to say something I felt it slip off my nose, tumbling down my face and onto my shirt.

"That's twice now, Swan." I said in mocked indignation. Bella stuttered, staring at my lips. She raised a tentative finger towards my face. All of a sudden, we were in a bubble; everyone else around us had disappeared.

I tried to speak, but only managed to part my lips and croak out a feeble sound. Bella's finger reached my lip and I felt her swipe at the stickiness. Faster than I could think it through, I grabbed her hand and sucked the tip of her finger clean.

When I released her, she withdrew her hand slowly, eyes wide and her own lips hung slightly agape.

A crying child broke our little bubble and we both laughed nervously.

"That was interesting." Bella mumbled under her breath.

"Um, yeah. I'm sorry about that." I apologized, my eyes dropping to the ground.

_What the hell is wrong with you, Cullen?_

"It's okay." Bella laughed nervously.

"Who's up for moonlight waterball?" Jake asked the group enthusiastically and thankfully saving us from our awkward moment.

"What is moonlight waterball?" I asked.

"It's like volleyball in the pool." Bella answered.

"Only, we use a blow up beach ball." Seth added.

"And you need a teammate. We play in pairs." Jake winked at me. I almost busted out laughing. Why the fuck couldn't he have done that weeks ago?

"I'm in." I said. Leaning closer to Bella's ear, I spoke. "As long as you'll be my partner."

She looked at me again with those large, wide eyes and nodded, a small smile playing at her lips.

"I'm going to go change. Be right back."

When I came out of the pool house, Bella was already sitting on the side of the pool with her feet splashing lightly in the water. I dove in, coming up right in front of her.

"That's perfect." Bella's face broke out in a huge smile. "Now turn around." She circled a finger above my head.

I did as I was told and noticed that Seth was on Jake's shoulders and Alice was atop Jasper's.

"Ah, okay. I get it now." I spoke as I backed up to Bella. I felt her warm thighs on my neck and even in the cool water, my dick jumped. I reached up and put my hands on her knees, steadying her and copping a feel at the same time.

After the kids got settled with a movie, Rosalie and Emmett joined Bella and I on our side. Seth named our teams, Team Edwardo and Team Jazzy. I honestly don't know how we won. I was completely mesmerized by the fact that Bella was wrapped around my neck.

She had hooked her feet behind my back and had her hands in my hair at one point. The gentle tug she gave me might as well have been her directly tugging somewhere else, because that's where I felt it.

After we kicked Team Jazzy's ass twice, we decided to call it a night. Alice and Rosalie went in to check on the kids while the rest of us cleaned up as best we could. They had torches lit, and along with the full moon, we were able to get most of the trash picked up.

"Umm, Edward?" I felt a light tap on my back. I was bent over picking up a stray paper plate.

"Yeah?" I said, turning towards Bella.

"Could I, uh, get a ride home with you?" she spoke quietly, as if it pained her to ask me.

"Of course." I smiled.

"I came with Jake, and he's going over to Seth's." she explained.

"Absolutely. No problem, Bella." I stroked her upper arm. "I just need to change back into my clothes and we can go."

We carried the cooler between us with our things piled on top of it. I opened her door, closing it only after she was safely inside.

I had barely moved down the road when I heard Bella clear her throat, and turn slightly in her seat.

"Can I ask you something?" she sounded as if she were exasperated with me.

"Sure."

"What happened tonight?"

"Umm, do you think you could narrow that down? What happened with what?"

"Well, all of a sudden you seem so much more comfortable around me. Did you drink a lot? I mean, that's okay, if you did. And, don't get me wrong, I like it that you feel more at ease. I was just wondering, is all, why that is, do you think?" She took a deep breath.

I laughed at her. She was wringing her hands in her lap and biting her lip. I learned that Bella can ramble on, seemingly not having to breath as she asks question after question.

"Yes, I am more at ease with you. No, I did not drink a lot." I chuckled.

"So...?" she prompted.

"Well," I started, trying to find the right words. I realized that the only thing that would work, was the truth. "I found out tonight that Jake was gay."

Bella looked at me, eyes wide and shook her head, as if to say 'So what?'. Her breath hitched, as if she just had that eureka moment.

"You didn't know that?" I shook my head. "I don't get it. How could you not know?" she asked.

"I assumed you and Jake were together." I said softly. "I thought he was your live in boyfriend. No one said anything." I shrugged.

Bella laughed, much like Emmett did earlier. "Should I have said 'Hi, I'm Bella Swan. My best friend, and roommate, is gay, in case you were wondering.'?"

"I suppose you're right." I sighed, still feeling like an ass. Bella kept laughing.

"Are you done?" I couldn't help the snarky tone that wrapped around the words.

"Wait!" Bella cried. "When we were shopping, I'm sure I referred to Seth as Jake's boyfriend."

"I think I would have remembered that, Bella." I curtly replied.

"Yeah, I did. As soon as I came from talking to him." she assured me.

Thinking back on it, I realized it must have been when I was discussing payment with the cashier. _Aw, fuck me anyway_.

"I didn't hear you. All I heard was something about, 'That's Seth' then I heard Jake's name. That's all I caught." I sighed.

"I guess I can see how you'd make the mistake." she offered, after she got some control of herself. Bella was quiet for the few minutes it took for us to arrive at the farm. "So, to clarify, you feel more comfortable around me because you found out that I don't have a boyfriend?"

I turned the engine off and twisted around to face her. I let my fingers reach up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, lightly grazing her cheek in the process.

"Yes." I answered. A soft smile inched its way across her face.

"Okay." she said quietly.

* * *

**A/N: Well, well? What did you think? I'm dying to know. I really hope this chapter lived up to everyone's expectations. As for the creep reviewer...Maybe THEY should go get a real book, instead of reading fanfiction, if they expect Pulitzer prize winning prose.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting. I want to thank everyone for the support they've shown me and this story. I'd give you all a big hug if I could. **

**My thanks and undying servitude goes to my gals. Euphoria9 and TheQueenWriter. They read, suggest and listen. Love you guys!**

**SM owns Twilight**

* * *

Walk

Chapter 9

BPOV

I woke up with the sun shining brightly through my east window. My fingers immediately raised to my cheek, where Edward had pressed his lips ever so gently last night.

My mind was still swirling with the revelations from yesterday. I _know_ that I'd said enough to Edward previously, for him to be clued in on Jake's status. I thought back to the various times I'd spoken about Seth...he wasn't paying attention? I suppose there had been distractions.

What about all those times that I clumsily flirted with him? Did he really think so little of me, that I would flirt with him while shacking up with my 'boyfriend'? Maybe it was my flirting that was a failure.

I decided that I needed to get some caffeine pumping through my veins before I contemplated the enigma that is Edward.

As I walked down stairs, my phone chimed alerting me to a text.

"_Brunch at Ollie's?" _Alice asked.

Jake wasn't around and I had no plans for the day, other than working in the barn later.

"_Sure. 11 okay?"_

"_See you then."_

The kitchen was filled with the light of the morning sun, a little too brightly for me this morning. I adjusted the shade so it wasn't shining directly in my eyes and began to make my coffee. I made it nice and strong to help fortify me for my brunch date.

I glanced out the back window just to see if Edward was in sight. I felt disappointed when I didn't see him.

"This is nuts." I muttered to myself.

As soon as there was enough in the pot, I poured some coffee and took it upstairs with me. After showering, I chose a simple ensemble for the casual bistro where I was meeting Alice. No doubt she'd be dressed to impress, but I stopped trying to keep up with her a long time ago. My sundress was flattering and a pretty shade of blue, but basic enough that I could wear flip-flops with it. I decided to be a little daring and chose my new wedge sandals instead. I was feeling empowered after last night.

I walked through the door of the restaurant and spotted Alice straight away. She was adjusting an enormous yellow hat that matched her dress perfectly. Her husband had southern roots and she thinks that allows her to channel a modern day Scarlett O'Hara. I have to admit though, she pulls it off pretty well.

"Pumps, Bella? I'm impressed." she smiled as I sat across from her. A waitress carefully sat a plate of croissants and a tray of condiments down before I could say anything.

"You look like you just stepped off a photo shoot." I said, giving her hat a gentle flick with my finger.

"The hat isn't too much?" she asked quietly, fiddling with the wide brim.

"Not on you." I assured her. "You look great."

"Speaking of looking great...you looked pretty awesome wrapped around Edward's neck last night." Alice said playfully.

I sputtered, trying not to choke on my bite of croissant. After safely swallowing, I smiled at her.

"It was a lot of fun." I admitted.

"So? Tell me! I'm dying over here!" Alice exclaimed.

I filled our cups with the small pot of coffee that sat on the table and took a sip. I could feel Alice's eyes on me and almost hear the steam building up between her ears.

"He thought that Jake was my boyfriend."

"No." Her voice was filled with disbelief. "He didn't know that Jake rides a different bus?! How did he not know that?" Alice's small hand slapped the table top.

"I don't know." I shook my head, completely mystified right along with her.

"Wow, Bella." Alice sat back in her chair continuing to look at me in amazement.

"There's something there, Alice. I could feel it last night."

"Feel what?"

"The chemistry or attraction, whatever. I felt it. I got the notion that he found out _last night_ about Jake, and it changed his perception. It was almost like he was a different person."

"Really?"

"Yes. I swear that if we had been alone, I would've jumped him. And he would _not_ have refused me."

"You think he would've before?"

"After we got past being rude to each other, he always seemed kind of reserved around me."

"That bitch of a wife deceived him, Bella. It was horrible what she did to him. You don't just get over something like that." Alice defended.

"I understand that, and I'm not going to ask you to tell me about it." I held my hand up in reassurance. "I want him to do it when he's ready."

"So you think that this is going somewhere then?" Alice leaned in close to speak quietly.

"I think it has definite possibilities." I smiled.

"Good!" she smiled, sitting back up. "Then maybe you should invite him over to babysit with you." Alice's words flew out of her mouth so quick, I almost missed it.

"Babysit?"

"Please Bella? Jasper and I want to take a few days to ourselves. Please?" Alice asked this as if I would refuse her.

I did make her sit for a couple of minutes while I thought about it. Inviting Edward over was a really good idea. I could spend some time with him but have the kids around as a buffer in case things went back to being awkward.

"Of course I will. When did you want to go?"

"Next weekend." Alice smiled, getting a glassy look in her eyes.

"Where are you guys going?" I asked casually while scooping some raspberry jam.

"No where." an impish smile grew across her face.

"Huh?"

"We're getting a hotel room for the weekend and I don't plan on seeing the light of day the entire time!"

"Good for you, Alice." I smiled.

~w~

I really was happy that Alice was going to have a sex filled weekend, but I couldn't help to feel a little jealous, too. She was bubbling over all week.

On Thursday, she approached me at work all excited and bouncing in her Manolo's.

"What?" I asked, slightly aggravated by her mood. My tone didn't even phase her.

"We're leaving in the morning!" she clapped her hands rapidly a number of times.

"Alice, I have to work tomorrow." I reminded her.

"It's okay," she waved her hand in the air. "After work, go home and get your stuff and get to the house whenever you can. Jasper is asking Edward to stay with the kids during the day." she explained.

"Okay." I did an internal fist pump. I wouldn't have to do a thing; Edward would already be there.

"We'll be home before dinner on Sunday." she leaned in and kissed my cheek. "I'll leave the hotel information with Edward. Thanks so much, Bella!" I watched Alice run off in the direction of her office.

"Have fun!" I offered needlessly. Of course they would have fun. As fast as she was moving, I don't think she heard me anyway.

I got through the last day of my work week and rushed home to change and finish packing my bag. I had a couple of projects in mind to help keep the kids occupied and entertained and only needed to gather a few things for them.

I loaded everything into my car and stopped at the grocery store for a couple of items. It was 6 by the time I got to the Whitlock's and had planned on ordering pizza for dinner.

"Hello?" I lumbered into the house with all my stuff. I didn't hear anything. I took a few more steps, setting my things on the floor. Peeking into the kitchen, I saw Eric run by the sliding door, headed for the pool. I grabbed my bag and changed into my suit. After unloading my grocery bag, I tried to slip out the glass slider without being noticed. I made it half way to the pool before Gracie hollered my name.

Edward looked up from the water. His hair was wet and plastered to his head. The drops of water glistened off his chest, making him almost sparkle. I had to bite my lip to keep my mouth closed. Not to mention, he was surrounded by the kids.

"Hey guys! Having fun?" I asked, walking to a deck chair. I sat on the edge, leaning my arms on my knees.

"Yes!" they all screamed.

"Hi, Bella." Edward said. It almost sounded like a sigh, velvety and smooth.

"Hi, Edward." I sighed right back.

Tim did a cannonball and broke us out of our little bubble.

"Are you guys getting hungry?" I asked them.

"I was going to cook." Edward told me with a crooked grin.

"You were? I thought you weren't much of a cook?"

"I'm not, but I do make a couple of specialties." he smirked.

"Okay then, dinner is all yours." I smiled, trying to imagine him standing over the stove.

I stood up, stretching my arms over my head. I watched Edward from the corner of my eye and caught him staring. Smiling to myself, I dove into the water and swam to the other end and back.

Tim attached himself to my back, so I swam around with him. The other kids included Edward and we took turns pulling them through the water. At one point, Edward was tossing the kids in, each of them squealing in delight.

After an hour or so of playing around, I told everyone it was time to go in. The usual moans and groans accompanied the kids as they exited the pool. Edward and I were right behind them.

"Don't leave your suits on the floor!" I reminded them as I followed Grace into her room.

"Did you have fun today?" I asked as I dried her off.

"Yes. Uncul Ehward is grwate!" Grace sounded like she was trying to emulate Tony the Tiger.

"I agree with you."

I helped Grace get her clothes back on and sent her out to the living room.

I headed down the hall to Alice and Jasper's room, where I had left my bags and ran into Edward coming out of Eric's room. He stood in my way, looking at me as he tapped on Tim's door.

"You okay in there, buddy?" Edward asked, his eyes never leaving me. He obviously was aware that Tim was an independent kid.

"Yeah!" Time hollered back, clearly upset that Edward even asked. I couldn't help but laugh.

"I really like your laugh." Edward said quietly. His hand reached up and stroked my upper arm. Edward's eyes scanned me up and down, "You'd better get some clothes on." He gave me a smile and moved past me, his chest brushing against my arm. I wanted to reach out and grab him; instead, I continued on my way to change.

EPOV

I was more than happy to watch the kids so Jasper could escape for a few days with his wife, not that I wasn't envious. Since I found out that Bella was indeed single, I'd self-pleasured myself sore. I needed the real thing. It was too soon for that, but it didn't stop me from thinking about it.

Bella waltzed across the yard like a goddamned pin up girl and almost made me lose my shit in front of the kids. If they hadn't been there I might have taken her in the Whitlock's back yard. No, probably not. But I would have at least tried for some kissing and possibly second base.

As I changed into my dry clothes I thought of her in the room above me, naked for a moment as she took her suit off. I was giving myself a massive hard on and needed to stop. I was in charge of dinner tonight and had to get back upstairs.

I found everything I needed for my fabulous dinner and got started by setting the pot to boil. I heard Bella get after the kids as they argued about which movie to watch.

"What'cha making?" Bella suddenly said. I hadn't heard her come in and jumped at the sound of her voice. I got to hear her laugh again, though.

"Mac n' Cheese with hot dogs." I leaned back to show her the cutting board with a package of hot dogs sitting on it.

"Mmm, tasty." she said, though I don't think she actually approved. "I'll cut up some fresh veggies to go with it."

I put the wieners on the grill pan to char them up a little before cutting them into the macaroni and cheese. Bella and I moved around each other with ease. The conversation was light, but relaxing.

I told her about the furniture that I bought, and she spoke about work. By the time we had caught up with each other's past week, dinner was ready. Bella set the table and told the kids to wash as I dished out my creation.

"Kids! Dinner's ready!" I called.

I held out a chair for Bella that was the closest to mine. She gave me a warm smile and took her seat. The kids scrambled in and sat at their usual spots.

"I love this stuff!" Eric proclaimed when he saw his plate.

"Stuff?" I scoffed. "I'll have you know that this is considered a delicacy in some circles." Tim and Bella were the only ones who laughed. Eric just stared at me as if I grew another head.

"Huh?" he asked.

"In college, your dad and I ate this all the time." I informed him.

"Oh." he said, then smiled. "Cool."

Bella insisted they take some of the fresh vegetables and everyone dug into their food. Gracie asked where her parents were, for the fifth time. Tim and Eric talked together about some new game system a friend of theirs got for his birthday.

When everyone was about finished, Bella tapped me on the arm to get my attention. There was really no need for that, I was already acutely aware of her and everything she was doing.

"Guess what we're doing tomorrow?" she asked them. Three pairs of eyes looked up at her.

"What?" Tim asked.

"Making our own ice cream!" Bella said. "We can make peach and strawberry, and I bought stuff for toppings, too."

"I want those mini chocolate chips. Do you have those?" Eric asked. Each kid asked for something different. Gracie wanted gummi bears and Tim wanted nuts.

"What about whipped cream?" I asked Bella. I never thought I had a food fetish, but I couldn't stop the image of the stuff appearing on Bella's lips.

"Will you come over?" Bella asked, her eyes full of hope.

"Of course. And I'll stop and get whatever you don't have." I picked up my plate and stood, pausing to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. It felt brazen and daring because the act was so foreign to me, but the feel of her soft, warm skin against my lips gave me jolt.

Everyone helped clean up the dishes and we all filed into the living room. Bella queued up the DVD and sat next to me on the couch.

Next to me being one cushion away.

I patted the cushion directly beside me, inviting her over. She blushed and scooted closer to me. The kids were wrapped up in Toy Story 3. I took advantage of the distraction and gently picked up Bella's hand in mine. Bella looked at our hands then up at me, a huge smile on her face. It made her dark eyes light up.

I turned slightly so I could watch her face as we talked.

"So...," she started.

"So...," I continued. It felt like I was in junior high again. Awkward, goofy but also exciting and new.

My inner monologue was kicking my ass.

_Man up, Edward! What the fuck is wrong with you?_ It screamed.

"I want to get everything out in the open, Bella." her eyebrows raised, waiting for me to finish. "I like you. A lot. But," I sighed. "it's been a long time since I've done this."

"I'm a patient person, Edward." Bella placed her other hand over the one that was holding hers and stroked my hand. "And I like you a lot, too." I leaned in, wanting to give her a kiss and finally taste those beautiful lips when Gracie laughed loudly at something on the screen. I pulled back and chuckled.

We talked quietly about a few occasions where we had misread each other and came to the conclusion that we were both idiots. I blame myself, of course. Bella was only reacting to the way I treated her.

Hands get sweaty, so I extricated mine from hers and wrapped my arm around her instead. I heard a low hum of contentment from Bella and she settled in closer to my side.

"You've been here all day?" Bella said suddenly. "Who's feeding the horses? I need to call Jake." she started to get up. I pulled her back and even closer than she was before.

"I took care of it. I called Tyler and bribed him to feed tonight." I explained.

"Oh. Okay." she giggled. Bella quickly got quiet. She looked up at me and I could tell she wanted to say something.

"What? You can ask me anything, Bella." I assured her.

"I was wondering about that question I asked you, about my age." she moved slightly away from me. "You never really told me."

I sighed and scrubbed my free hand over my face.

"You don't think that I'm too old for you?" I asked warily, cocking my head to the side.

"Too old? No." she was already shaking her head before the word came out.

"Some people might see me as a cradle robber." I absently played with a piece of her hair.

"I don't give a shit what anyone says. Besides, anyone who matters only cares about me being happy." she said defensively.

"Do you think that _I_ can make you happy?" I asked nervously.

"I think we could make each other happy." Bella's words were sincere and direct. She sounded as if she had no doubts.

Bella lifted her hand to my face, smoothing over the skin beneath my eye. I caught it before she took it away and kissed her fingers lightly.

We fell into a silence, though I'm not sure we were watching the movie. Bella would shift her position, moving her hand to touch my knee, then my thigh. I did the same thing. I stretched out my arm and brought it back down so I could grasp her hand again. It was like an orchestrated dance, seeing where and how we could touch each other and still keep it innocent.

When the movie ended, I helped get the kids to bed. Grace fell asleep right away, and the boys were pretty beat. That was my plan, after all. I figured if I could tire them out, I could get some alone time with Bella. It seems my instincts were coming back to me.

I walked out of Tim's room and took my place on the couch. Bella followed shortly after from Eric's room.

I held my hand out to her, guiding her back down next to me. I looked into her big brown eyes for a moment before dipping my head down. I heard Bella's breath intake sharply just before our lips met.

Bella's lips molded perfectly against mine and tasted just as sweet as I had imagined. I pulled her closer as I nibbled at her bottom lip. She whimpered and I kissed her harder. Her hands wrapped around my shoulders holding me tight. I let my tongue caress her lips, pleading with them to let me in.

Our heads moved slightly and she opened her mouth to me. That first touch of tongue against tongue sparked something in both of us. Bella climbed into my lap and I felt her fingers in the hair at the back of my head. My own fingers found the skin at the base of her shirt and they danced lightly over her.

Bella was the first to break away, but she didn't go far. Her lips found my ear quickly and her heaving breath made my dick even harder than it had been. I pulled her long hair to one side and began assaulting her neck. I kissed and licked down the sensitive skin until I reached her collarbone. I ran my tongue over it as her head fell back. Bella was full of soft moans and sighs, each one making my cock twitch in delight.

"Edward..." she sighed my name. Bella shifted slightly, pressing firmly against my cock. Instinctively, my hands fell to her hips and I pressed into her. It felt wonderful and I don't know where I found the will to stop.

But I did.

"Bella," I panted, adjusting her position on me. My resolve weakened a little when I took in her red, well kissed lips and heaving chest. Then I looked into her sad eyes. "Oh, no sweetheart, don't be sad." I struggled to find the right words.

"I just want to take this slow. I don't want to make any mistakes."

"You think it would be a mistake?" she asked quietly.

"No. I'm not explaining this right." I lifted Bella off my lap, sitting her next to me but keeping her legs across mine.

"I think it's time I told you about Kate."

I started from the beginning, not wanting to leave anything out. How and where we met, how long we dated, when we got married-I wanted Bella to know it all. I spoke about Kate not getting pregnant and how I had suggested adoption.

I skipped to the end, so I could backtrack and explain things as they really happened. I told her how I found the pamphlets from the clinic, and everything she had said to me that night.

"It turns out that she aborted my children. I figure at least two, very likely three." I choked back a sob.

"Oh my god. Edward!" Bella launched herself at me, holding me tight. I laid my head on her shoulder for a moment to compose myself.

"She claimed that she did it for her career and ultimately, for us." I lifted my head and looked deeply into Bella's eyes. At first they were still horrified, then they softened to sympathetic.

"Edward. I don't know what to say." she brushed my hair away from my forehead and kissed me softly on the lips. "I'm so sorry that she did that to you." Bella laid her hand against my cheek.

I pulled her into my arms and just held her there. Her soft breaths and warm body gave me so much comfort and peace. I sat back, holding Bella in my arms, her head tucked under my chin.

"I have a big issue with trust because of that. I was completely humiliated, betrayed; I never saw it coming. I thought we were on the same page and I never questioned it. The signs were there, but I didn't see any of them until after the fact."

"Hindsight is 20/20." Bella murmured.

"Yeah." I said, chuckling darkly. "The thing is, I've started to blame myself for a lot of it. I allowed her to change me, because I thought she was going through all this heartache about not getting pregnant. My goal was to make her happy, and in the process, not only was I deceived, but I lost a big part of myself as well."

Bella was so quiet lying against my chest, I thought she might have fallen asleep. I gave her arm a light squeeze and she rewarded me with a smile.

"So, I've been working on gaining back what I lost. The parts of me that I let fall by the wayside."

"That's what was so important about the shopping trip." Bella said.

"Yes. I just feel this _need_ to be in control of all the things in my life." A small laugh worked it's way out of me. "My mother wanted to come down and help me buy furniture and I went off on her. I called her back soon after and apologized, but yeah. Not a shining moment for me."

"Edward," Bella sat up to look at me. "I understand all of that, completely. You have every right to feel that way. The fact that you're sitting here with me right now, like this, is amazing." I reached up to brush the hair from her face. "You can trust me. I promise." Her voice rippled with emotion.

"I think I know that." I said softly. "Just," I paused, "always be honest with me. Even if it's something I won't like. We can work things out as long as we talk about it, stay on the same page." I let out a deep sigh. "I can't take another betrayal."

"I'll always be honest with you." Bella was looking at me, determined and fierce. It left me with no doubt about her sincerity.

The air between us was silent again, both of us mulling over my words. Bella settled herself back against my chest. I loved the feeling of her pressed against me, hearing her soft breathing, touching her silky hair.

"Come here." I pulled her up to me, so that her face was mere inches from mine.

We played that game, where your eyes dart back and forth between eyes and lips. When a soft whimper escaped her, and she bit her lip, I was done playing.

With my hand on the back of her neck, I held her to me, kissing her hard and deep. I turned her head to the side and deepened our kiss. Bella's tongue was soft and warm, so wet. My other hand snaked around her waist, gripping her tightly. I felt her fingers dig into my biceps, then her nails scratched a light path down my arms.

I laid her back on the couch, my lips found her ear lobe. I kissed and licked at it, making sure to touch on the tender skin below her ear. Bella was so responsive. She writhed underneath me, working her legs to wrap around me. Her hands found their way under my shirt and her touch sent shivers down my spine.

We touched and kissed for a long while, a good old-fashioned make out session. As we slowed down, I realized that it was getting late. I couldn't stay here, even though my engorged cock was telling me otherwise.

"Bella..." I whispered, peppering her face with soft kisses. "I have to get going."

"I know." she sighed, still kissing my neck.

I gently pulled away from her, bringing her up with me. Smoothing her hair, I gave her a final kiss on the lips, then one on her nose. Her smile warmed my heart.

"I'll be back for ice cream." I winked.

Bella walked me to the door, still smiling.

"Good night, Edward. Thank you for telling me all that," she pointed absently to the couch. "I know it was difficult to talk about it, but I'm glad you did. Knowing all that tells me so much."

"Thank you for letting me. And for your patience." I told her. Bella reached up and gave me a quick peck on the corner of my mouth. "Good night, sweetheart." I let my thumb run over her bottom lip before I walked away.

…

After I fed the horses and fired off an email to Mr. Chasseur, I called Bella to see what else was needed for the ice cream she planned on making.

I pulled into a stop and go to pick up a can of whipped cream and a large chocolate bar. Imagine my surprise when I ran into Tanya paying for her gas.

"Edward," she smiled warmly. "How are you?"

I felt a little uneasy, wondering if she was going to question why I hadn't called her. Truth be known, I hadn't thought of her since I talked to Emmett about our date.

"I'm terrific, thanks. How are you?" I said politely.

"I'm great." Tanya fidgeted back and forth on her feet. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" she pointed over her shoulder, towards the door.

"Sure." Might as well face the music. I followed her outside, preparing the let down I was about to deliver.

"Look, I'm just going to say this. I really like you; you're a great guy." she took a deep breath. "I've been meaning to call you and..." I held my hand up.

"Tanya. I'm seeing someone." Rather than anger or sadness, she smiled brightly, then started laughing. "What's so funny?"

"I was going to tell you that I think we'd be better off as friends." Her eyes sparkled bright blue with the tears from her laughter.

"Oh." I replied like a dumbfuck.

"So, I guess it all worked out for the best?" she smiled.

"Yes, I guess it did. And, I'm meeting her shortly, so I need to get going." I hedged.

"No problem. But Edward, I'm serious about being your friend. In fact, I'd like to help out once you get the therapy farm up and running." she offered.

"That would be fantastic, Tanya. Thank you. I'll give you a call once I have all my ducks in a row." I smiled. That was a lot easier than I had anticipated.

I went back into the store and found what I came for. I turned up my radio and started rocking out to some Seether as I drove off to Jasper's house.

BPOV

I had butterflies in my stomach waiting for Edward to arrive. It was like I was 16 all over again waiting for my first date to pick me up. When he called earlier and I saw his name flash across my cell screen, I felt a jolt of excitement rush through me. Just the thought of him made the wings start fluttering all over again.

"Tim! Eric!" I hollered. "Where are your brothers?" I asked Gracie, ruffling her hair.

"I dunno." she shrugged, continuing to pick through some cut out pictures we were using to make a collage.

"I'll be right back." I told her, leaving to search for the boys.

I found them in Eric's room, both of them under the bed with just their heads sticking out.

"What are you doing?" I asked, stepping over a pile of Legos.

"We're planning." they said in unison.

"Planning what?" I asked. They both snickered. "No funny business, you two." I warned over dramatically. That just made them laugh more.

"Seriously guys, if you want ice cream later, get this room picked up. We may even go to the farm for a ride."

They both scrambled from under the bed and began tossing toys into Eric's toy chest. I heard a car door slam and my butterflies started in again. I went out to the living room and saw Edward coming up the walk.

I took a deep breath, not wanting to seem like an over eager slut and opened the door.

The man took my breath away. Not many men can be referred to as beautiful, but he was. That smile and the look in his eyes was all for me, too. I decided to screw the over eagerness and threw myself at him.

"Whoa." he laughed, wrapping his arms around me. The bag he was holding whipped around and smacked me in the ass.

"Sorry. Just happy to see you." I backed away from him.

"Hell no, don't be sorry. You can greet me like that anytime." that lopsided grin appeared on his face and made me tingle in some un-obvious places.

"I think this should get into the fridge." he dangled the bag from one of his strong fingers.

_I can think of some better things those fingers could be doing..._

I felt my blush heat up my face. Edward looked at me quizzically.

"What?" he asked, brushing a finger down my cheek. I swallowed hard and took the bag from him.

"I was thinking that I'd take the kids back to my place, er, our place...I mean the farm, to go for a ride." I quickly turned to the refrigerator.

_Oh my god, I'm so stupid! _

My mouth was moving faster than my brain. One look from the man and my verbal filter is lying on the floor. I took a couple of deep breaths trying to calm down. When I turned back towards Edward, he had a curious smirk on his face.

"So, I drove back here for nothing?" he pouted as he walked over to me.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I should have said something when I thought of it. But, that's if it doesn't rain." I contended. My fingernails became my focus as I tried to think of something else to say.

"Bella." he said softly, with a finger under my chin. When our eyes met, he smiled. "I was kidding. It isn't like it's an hour away. We can make the kids some lunch then go out to the farm." he offered. Then he leaned down and kissed me lightly.

"I'm sorry. I'm so flustered."

"I can understand that. I'm feeling a little like that myself. But, it's a good thing, yes?" he asked, stroking my cheek again.

"Yes, it's a very good thing." I took his hand before he moved it away, placing a kiss on his knuckles.

"Is Aunt Bewwa your gurfrien?" Gracie had appeared and was tugging at Edward's shirt. He looked up at me, eyes questioning. All I could do was smile and offer a small shrug of my shoulders.

"Yes, Gracie. She is."

Edward's eyes never left me until he finished answering Grace. Then he picked her up and strode towards the table, sitting down with her and asking her about the project we were working on.

We decided to hold off on the horse back riding until Sunday, since the storm was indeed moving in. Instead, we had a living room floor picnic and made ice cream.

It was Edward's idea to let the kids crush the chocolate bar instead of buying the mini chocolate chips that Eric wanted. They thought that was great fun, taking turns smacking it with a rolling pin.

We made the peach ice cream first and it was divine. When I had my turn to taste it, Edward's eyes glazed over as he watched me. I would swear on a stack of bibles that I saw him adjust himself.

I stuck it in the freezer and we quickly started the strawberry. The kids were starting to get restless, so I sent them to the basement to get some board games. As soon as the second batch was finished, everyone grabbed a spoon to taste it before it went into the freezer for later. Edward snatched my spoon from me while the rest of them took their taste. The kids jumped back to the table with the games after they dropped the spoons in the sink.

I had my eyes on Edward. I watched as he scooped a small portion and held it out to me. His hand was trembling slightly.

I looked at the spoon, then to him. He wanted to play around and I was certainly game.

I licked my lips slowly and leaned forward to take the offered confection. As my mouth opened to it, so did his. I wrapped my lips around it and moaned softly as I stood back up, closing my eyes as I swallowed.

When I opened them back up, Edward's eyes were smoldering. It made me catch my breath. That one little act amped up the tension between us in a way I hadn't anticipated.

If it wasn't for the kids, I would have let him take me right there on the kitchen counter.

Edward left soon after that, claiming he had work to do at the farm. But not before kissing me soundly and letting me know just how much my little performance affected him.

* * *

**A/N: This should leave you all feeling pretty happy about things! I'd love to hear your thoughts. While you're at it, I'd like to invite your suggestions for the name of the therapy farm-leave them in a review! Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Mmmm. Edward and ice cream... Oh, that was the last chapter! A big thank you to every reader, reviewer & alerter. Every single one of you is flipping fantastic!**

**Always a big hug and smooshy kiss to my girls. They rock my world and help this fic along. The game on the river was suggested by, and in honor of, my beuootiful Kim. My words are made a little prettier by The Queen. She IS the queen, btw-she can Google shit faster than I can type it in. And her fics rock.**

**There's a lot going on in this one, I do hope you enjoy it!**

**If anyone needs a reminder, the Twilight characters are owned by S. Meyers.**

* * *

Walk

Chapter 10

BPOV

My mind and body were reeling with thoughts of Edward. I felt like I'd been running a fever since Saturday afternoon.

Alice and Jasper got home by 3 on Sunday, squashing the trip to ride the horses. I told the kids that I would have them for a sleepover soon. After a few pleasantries, I told them I had to get back to the farm. I'd left all the work for Tyler and Edward and felt a little guilty about it. At least, that's what I told Alice.

It was true for the most part, but I wanted to see Edward. _My boyfriend_. That thought made me giggle and feel all giddy every time it crossed my mind. Part of me wondered if he was truly ready to move on. If I had suffered that kind of betrayal, I don't know if I'd be out in the light of day, yet.

I made up my mind that I would follow his lead, but not without a few tiny nudges from me. While it was still early in our relationship, I didn't know how much longer I could wait to be with him. It seemed like he was perfectly content to just kiss and hold me. Other than his obvious arousal when kissing me goodbye on Saturday, it was the only indication that I had that he wanted me just as badly as I wanted him.

The knock on the back door startled me, making me burn my lip on the coffee I had just tried to take a drink of.

"Ow! Dammit." I muttered loudly as I walked to the door. I looked up through the window as I reached for the handle.

Edward in profile, looking at something that had caught his attention. I stared at his strong, stubble covered jaw line, wanting nothing more than to run my tongue over it. Edward's hair was a mess and there was some dirt smudged on his shirt. I watched as a bead of sweat rolled down from his forehead to his cheek making my body quiver. When his head turned towards me and I saw a beautiful smile grow across his ruggedly handsome face.

"Are you going to open the door?" His words pierced through the veil of my lust.

"Hi." I said as he walked through the entry way.

"What's wrong?" he pointed to my finger that was still touching the spot where the coffee had burned me. I didn't even feel it anymore.

"You startled me." I laughed, finally breaking free from my stupor. "I was taking a drink when you knocked." I pointed in the general direction of my cup.

"Oh." he said softly. "We can't have that." Edward took a step closer to me, taking my face gently in his hands. He leaned his head down, lightly pressing his lips to mine.

It was a soft, gentle kiss until I wrapped my arms around his neck. I pressed myself against him, holding him tightly. Edward dropped his hands and gripped my hips, I felt his fingers kneading my denim covered flesh. His mouth opened and mine followed, our tongues dancing deliciously.

"Get a room." A gruff voice said.

I quickly jerked my lips away, staring a hole in the back of Jake's head. I waited until he turned from the refrigerator, then threw daggers at him with my eyes. Edward's arms raised to my lower back, but he didn't let me go.

"Sorry." Jake didn't look very apologetic. "I was kidding. But I thought you ought to know that you weren't alone." He pulled out a chair and sat down. I shook my head trying not to pout.

"How's it going Jake?" Edward asked. "Can I get one of those?" he said to me quietly, pointing at my coffee. I nodded as he pulled out his own chair.

"Great, Edward. How are you?" Jake's voice had a teasing quality to it. I turned in time to see his eyebrows wiggling.

"I am..." I set his cup down and gave him a light kiss. "fantastic." Edward's smile was brilliant.

"You two kids seem to be hitting it off these days." he observed.

"Yes, we are." Edward confirmed.

I sat there watching the two of them, wondering where this was going. Both of them held a determined look, as if they were going to stare each other down. I was just about to intervene when Jake laughed and slapped the table.

"It's about damn time." he smiled. "So does that mean you'll be joining us on the river?"

"Joining you for what?" Edward's eyes were curious and bright.

"Tubing down the Lower Salt. We're getting everyone together for Seth's graduation celebration." Jake picked up his phone and his fingers started tapping away. "It'll be a whole day of lounging on the river."

"When is it?"

"The first day of Missy B's vacation." Jake looked up with a smile.

"Vacation?" Edward looked at me.

"I have a week of vacation starting next Monday."

"I should be able to do that. Sounds like a lot of fun."

"It is. You'd be missing out if you never do it." Jake pushed his chair away from the table. "I gotta run. You may continue the canoodling." he snickered.

"Any other plans for your vacation?" Edward asked, stroking a finger down my arm, he picked up my hand when he reached it.

Just like any other time Edward touched me, all coherent thought left. I felt his soft, warm lips on the back of my hand.

"Hey," he said softly. "Where'd you go?"

"Nowhere." I smiled, it felt like my face would crack. "I'm not going anywhere, actually. I planned on spending it around here, except for a day with my parents."

"Hmmm. Okay. Planning on just veggin' around the house or what?"

"There is a fence portion that I want to get fixed and I want to paint the shed." I shrugged.

"Is that all?" he pressed, a small smile playing at his lips.

"Well, I hoped I would get to spend some time with you, as well." I turned our hands so that his was now within lip range, and kissed his fingers. I made sure to open my mouth and lightly lick his skin.

I pulled away as a funky taste took over my mouth. Taking a napkin from its holder, I tried wiping it off my tongue.

"Sorry, I didn't wash my hands." he laughed heartily. I took a big gulp of coffee to wash it _and_ my embarrassing attempt at seduction, away.

Edward leaned forward putting his hand under my hair to hold my neck. He pulled me to him and held me as he kissed me hard, forcing his tongue into my mouth. As the kiss grew, I felt the pressure of him pulling me closer. I rose from my chair and went to sit in his lap. His hand guided my leg to straddle him where he sat.

When I needed air, he pulled my hair to the side to continue. Edward's lips were hot on my sensitive neck, kissing and licking the skin. His hands stroked my sides, grazing the edges of my breasts. I pressed them against his chest and began my own assault on him. I nibbled on his puffy lobe, letting my breath rush into his ear. Just as I shifted my hips, trying to create a little friction, Edward sighed heavily and began to pull away from me.

"I actually came in to tell you something." his voice was thick and gravelly.

I let out a sigh, resting my forehead on his shoulder. I wanted to scream I was so frustrated. I heard Edward chuckle as he leaned away from me, moving his hands to the top of my thighs.

"I have a guy coming out in a couple of days. He's the one who's going to help design the therapy elements."

I leaned back so I could look into his eyes and arched a brow at him. He was refusing me yet again.

"Let's not rush things, sweetheart." his smile was soft as his thumb traced my bottom lip. "Enjoy this." Edward gave me a peck on the lips.

I squirmed a little in his lap then gave in. "Okay." I sighed dramatically. "I am enjoying this, by the way." I draped my arms over his shoulders. "I just want to enjoy this more."

Edward pressed his lips together and started to look uncomfortable. I'd better switch gears.

_I had decided to follow his lead,_ I reminded myself.

"When is your guy coming?" I asked as I got up from his lap.

"Thursday evening. He's going to stay over the weekend."

I kept myself very busy when I wasn't at work. My house had never been cleaner. I even washed the windows and base boards. Edward and I saw each other for at least a few minutes every day, but he was trying to get his place finished before the designer showed up.

I stood watching as he guided the delivery men to the spare room. He'd bought a small matching bedroom set to fill it with.

"Do you have some time this evening?" he asked as the delivery truck pulled away.

"Sure, for what?" I asked, looking hopeful.

"I need linens for this room, and I'd like some assistance in picking out something for Seth." I'm sure he watched my face fall. "Dinner, too." he added.

"We can do that. Where do you want to eat?" I looked down at my holey jeans.

"Somewhere where you can wear those." he pointed at my jeans and wore a devilish smile.

"You like these?" I asked in disbelief.

Edward walked over to me and wrapped his hands over my hips. He bent his head and gave me a searing kiss.

"I love these on you." One of his hands caressed the outer area of my butt cheek.

"Okay." I smiled and returned his kiss.

…

We were seated on the patio by a beautiful blonde girl, who had eyes for my man. I didn't blame her one bit. Edward was beautiful and sexy. As long as she kept her hands to herself, she could stare all she wanted.

"You're sure that set I picked is gender neutral?" Edward asked. He was worried it was too girly because it had a couple of subtle flowers in the design.

"Edward there are only a couple of pieces that have that design. It will be fine."

"James and my parents will be using that room." he explained.

"When are your parents using it?" I asked. He hadn't mentioned them coming to visit.

"I'm not sure yet, but my mom mentions it every time I speak with her." He wore such a cute smile talking about his mom. "What about Seth's gift?" he said after taking a long pull from his beer. "You're sure he's going to like it?" he asked, bouncing his knee nervously.

"Edward, yes. Why are you so nervous?" I asked.

"I'm not really nervous, just apprehensive. I don't want Seth to be offended." he admitted.

"He won't be, trust me." I said with a smirk. I was rewarded with a warm smile that told me he did, in fact, trust me.

There was a loud crash from the kitchen and I saw our waitress scramble to get in there. I hoped it wasn't our order that hit the floor. She came right back out with a tray headed right for us, though.

She put Edward's burger in front of him and gave him a bright, toothy smile.

"Is there anything else I can get you?" she asked coyly. I snorted and saw Edward try to hide a smile.

"I think we're all set." he said looking at me rather than her. The man makes me swoon at the most unlikely of times.

"What are they like? Your parents, I mean." I asked after she left.

Edward and I talked about our families while we ate. I learned that his father is the author of several popular kids' books. Pete the Porcupine was his creation. I read some of those books during my teaching internship.

His mother owned a successful book store back in Santa Fe and was dying to leave it in the hands of her assistant so she could come visit.

I talked about my mom's art and my dad's trophy collection. He liked to hunt whenever he could; his prized possession was a mount of huge head and rack from a bighorn sheep.

"He calls it Tom." I laughed.

"Your dad names his trophies?" Edward asked, disbelieving.

"Yes. He has a trout named Tina and a prairie dog named Toby." I snickered. "He names them all 'T' names!"

We were quiet for a bit, and I saw some question running around in Edward's head.

"You know, the same goes for me. You can ask me anything, Edward." As I spoke, his eyes softened.

"I was just wondering about Corrine." he admitted.

"What about her?" I didn't mind talking about my sister. I wished she was still here to meet and get to know Edward.

"Were you identical twins?"

"No. Fraternal." I smiled, remembering her pretty face. "We looked similar, though. I have a picture." I dug into my purse to find it. I gave it a long look before handing it to him.

Edward took the picture and stared for the longest time, as if he were memorizing it.

"She's just as beautiful as you, Bella." he said, handing it back to me. His sentiment made me choke back a sob and I grabbed my napkin, just in case my tears grew enough to fall.

Edward paid the bill and we left for home. Music played softly in the car and we watched the sun set on the short drive. Edward held my hand the whole time, gently stroking the back with his thumb.

This all felt so natural to me. Edward was just..._right_. Sure, we were still new and still getting to know each other, but I realized that it wasn't nervousness that I was feeling, it was excitement.

I settled back in my seat, held his hand a little tighter and hummed along to the music.

EPOV

Bella was going to kill me.

I had pushed off her advances twice and could see the longing in her eyes. Hell, I could _feel_ it. It wasn't that I didn't want her; my neglected, sore dick could attest to that. I loved sex and wanted to have copious amounts of it with Bella. I just didn't want to rush into things, and have her decide that I was, in fact, too old for her. I wasn't into being a player and had no interest in one night stands or fuck buddies, either.

I didn't know how much longer I could hold out, though. When she pressed her lithe little body against me or panted in my ear, it was almost my undoing.

I was becoming a Bella addict, craving her company. Every time we talked, I learned something new about her and I only wanted more. The way she talked about her family made me feel like I knew them.

I did my best to push all Bella thoughts aside as I waited for James to arrive. I had offered to pick him up from the airport, but he insisted that he'd get here by himself.

I heard a car's tires crunching on the gravel and went to the front door. I was very surprised to see Bella standing next to her car talking to who I assume was James. He was leaning against her car on his forearm. My blood pressure skyrocketed instantly.

He just pulled in the drive and was putting the moves on _my girl?_ I blew out the front door and stomped down the steps. Both of them turned towards me when they heard me.

James pushed off the side of the car and started limping towards me.

_What the fuck? Limping? _

That slowed my pace as I tried to figure out what the hell was going on and backtracked on the rage.

"Hi! You're Dr. Cullen?" he called out.

I stepped over to him and stood next to Bella, who had walked next to James.

"Yes." I stuck my hand out dumbly, not noticing that he had his right arm in a sling. He offered his left hand and gave me a clumsy shake.

"James Chasseur." he introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you." I offered. "Umm, forgive me, but you don't look so good." I pointed at his sling.

"Do you mind if we go in and sit?" he asked. "I'll tell you all about it."

Bella, James and I went into the house and sat on my new living room furniture. I stood back up and offered something to drink. I had made a pot of coffee in anticipation of his arrival. I balanced 3 cups and sat back down once they were passed out.

"You have a lot of potential here." James said. "Unfortunately, I am only able to help supervise." he chuckled. "I was in an accident recently and am still recovering."

"What happened, if you don't mind talking about it?" Bella asked.

"My daughter, Katrina, and I were in a car accident. We were hit in the passenger side, near Kat's door. The impact threw the car and we hit a parked truck. My leg was pinned when the front end crumpled. I was able to wrench it free in order to get my daughter out of the car." James got quiet for a moment. "The car caught fire, and that's how I burned my arm," he lifted his injured arm, "getting Kat out."

"That's awful. How is your daughter?" Bella asked.

"She wasn't hurt too badly. Thankfully, she came away with only some bruises. Her more serious injuries are on the inside. It shook her up pretty bad. She went from being a precocious, rambunctious seven year old, to being nervous and a shadow of her former self." he said sadly.

"Your wife wasn't hurt?" Bella asked again. I felt uncomfortable about asking these personal questions, but I was glad that Bella, with her sweetness and kind consideration, was able to carry the conversation.

"My wife left us a long time ago." he said, his voice void of emotion. "I'm sure she has no idea what we're going through right now."

"I'm sorry." Bella quickly apologized.

"No worries," he smiled. "I have full and total custody of my daughter, and other than this incident, we're very happy. She's with my parents right now." he added.

Bella stood up. "Why don't I make dinner for us all. You two can talk about your business and come up in about an hour or so?"

"That would be great. I'm starving." James smiled at her.

As I watched Bella walk out, I suddenly realized, that while they had been talking in the driveway, I hadn't properly introduced them.

"I don't know if she told you, but Bella is half owner here." I told James.

"You did mention in one of your emails that you had a partner."

"Do you feel up to a walk around the place?" I asked.

James and I went to his car to get a small camcorder and notebook. He handed the paper and pen to me and we took off towards the barn.

He filmed various parts of the barn and yard, having me jot down notes along the way. Close to an hour later, we had washed up and were on our way over to Bella's house.

I tapped on the glass and turned the knob, allowing James to walk in first. Bella met us and offered James a seat.

"Dinner is almost ready. Make yourselves comfortable and I'll be right back." Bella kissed my cheek and left the room. I sat across from James and noticed the curious look on his face.

"Did I forget to mention that Bella is my girlfriend?" I chuckled.

"Damn, buddy. Was that before or after you became partners?"

"After. It's kinda complicated, but our partnership is clear cut. The therapy side of the business is all mine. Bella does have a couple of boarders, but mainly this is just her family's property, her home."

"Lucky bastard." he muttered as Bella walked in looking sexy as hell in her tight pants and top.

"Don't I know it." I muttered back.

"Know what?" Bella asked as she set a plate of pork chops on the table.

"How lucky I am." I smiled up at her.

…

James stayed through the weekend and we ordered the equipment that I needed to install. He helped to design some of the elements and we discussed what I would have to build. Or have Emmett build. I called him to join us on Sunday in case he had any questions for James.

Monday morning rolled around and I met Bella as she came out her back door. We took care of the horses and packed my car for our trip up to the drop in point on the river.

I had on a pair of swim trunks, a t-shirt and an old pair of sneakers. I had never done this before and wasn't sure what to wear, but when we arrived, I saw that everyone was wearing pretty much the same thing.

Until the girls took their t-shirts off.

Bella wore just a bikini top and a tight ass pair of shorts. I think when she bent over in front of me, it was on purpose. I walked up behind her and gave her ass a smack, the curve of her cheek fitting nicely in the palm of my hand.

"Eeek." she squealed, standing up. I laughed and kept right on walking towards the rental shack.

We got tubes for everyone and tied them all together in pairs. Emmett and Rose were going to be in the front, Jake and Seth's were tied to Rose's tube, Jasper and Alice were tied to Jake's and Bella and I were tied to Jasper's. It would allow us to move around if we wanted to be near a different person, to talk to-or fuck with, I soon discovered.

Before we got in the water, everyone was passing around the sunscreen. The guys all took their shirts off, so I did as well.

"Turn around." Bella said, after giving me a quick kiss. Her warm hands did nothing for the coolness of the sunscreen and I jumped as she didn't hesitate one iota before slapping it on. She laughed then said, "I owed it to you for that smack on my ass."

"Like you didn't enjoy it?" I said smartly. I could already see that today was going to be full of flirting and messing around.

"You're right, I did." Bella had tipped up on her toes to whisper in my ear. I turned around to grab her but she had already slipped away. I caught up to her at the river's edge and scooped her up. I leaned forward like I was going to throw her in.

"NO!" she screamed, clinging to me.

I nudged her head with my own to get her to lift it up for me. "I'm not letting you go." I assured, before kissing her passionately.

"Yeah, every time I see them together, their lips are locked." Jake said loudly as he and Seth walked past us.

I sat Bella on her feet and gladly covered her back and shoulders with sunscreen. After tying the two coolers to our train, we all climbed into our tubes and pushed off from the edge.

The water was cold as my ass slid down in the tube, but I quickly got used to it. The day was clear and bright and the temperature would surely hit 100 degrees. I let my hand drag in the water as I took in the sights.

Emmett called out for a beer and I looked at my watch.

"It's barely eleven o'clock." I whispered to Bella. She laughed at me.

"Tubing on the river is usually a big party. You should see this place on the weekend."

Just as she finished speaking, I heard some whooping coming from behind us. There was a small group of tubers, some of which had paddles and they made to go around us.

The shenanigans started soon after that. Jake began throwing skittles at everyone, it turned into us trying to catch them in our open mouths. As soon as Alice swallowed a bug instead of a candy, it turned into a free for all.

I grabbed a beer for myself and Bella from the cooler that was tied between us and Jasper. I found a bag of chips and began to feed them to Bella.

I sunk my ass a little lower in the water to hide the hard on she was giving me. Her lips wrapped around my finger more than once to suck and lick the salt off. Every time she did it, or even just licked her lips, I felt my dick straining against my swim trunks.

I was in need of some distraction, so I wouldn't blow in my shorts. The last time Bella had my finger in her mouth, all I could see was her on her knees, looking up at me with her mouth full.

I saw an eagle perched on a tree, not far from the river's edge and found my distraction technique.

"I spy something...regal." I said to Bella in a low voice. She looked momentarily confused, then started scanning the area.

"Jake?" she laughed, but kept looking.

"Wha-at?" Jake answered. I had forgotten how voices carry on the water.

"We're playing 'I-Spy' and I'm looking for something regal. You were my first thought!" she giggled.

"Fuck you, too, Bella. I _am _regal. And majestic." his face broke into a bright grin just before Seth leaned over to kiss him.

The eagle took flight, giving up a squawk and Bella's eyes immediately latched on to it.

"The eagle!" she pointed, looking proud of herself.

The game continued, getting closer to the gutter with every question. When Alice 'I-Spy'd' her happy place, Jake shouted the answer loud enough for the whole river to hear.

"Jasper's disco-stick!"

Alice turned red, but didn't deny it. Jake started looking around, rubbing his hands together like an evil superhero.

"I spy a sweet little spot. Just right for kissing." he offered.

We all looked at Seth, wondering which spot exactly he was talking about. Suggestions were made: lips, neck...Emmett yelled 'Seth's disco-stick', but Jake kept shaking his head.

"Those are all _my_ favorite spots," he winked at Seth. "The one I'm talking about belongs all to Bella." he paused. "Though, I wouldn't pass up the opportunity." Jake looked at me with a brow arched.

Everyone's eyes turned to me and I laughed.

"Thank you, Jake." I splashed some water in his direction before looking at Bella. "That would be anywhere." I waved my hand over my body, smiling. It was _all_ Bella's.

"I need more, Jake." Bella said, looking at me intently.

"If I was a vampire, it would be my _favorite_ spot to snack on." he replied.

Bella pulled at the slack in the rope that tied us together, pulling me as close as she could. She heaved herself up to lean over and I felt her warm tongue run up my jugular, ending with a searing kiss under my ear.

"YES!" Jake hollered.

I pulled Bella the rest of the way out of her tube, sitting her crossways over me. I brought her closer to me, leaning back a little. My intent was some graphic PDA with her mouth.

Instead, the always eager Bella leaned into me as well, and we flipped out of my tube into the water. Jasper laughed so hard I thought he would bust a gut.

"Smooooth, Cullen." he said. I walked over to him and flipped him into the water. When it was all said and done, every one of us was in the water and soaked from head to toe.

We switched tubes every so often, but were all back in our original spots when we arrived at the end point.

...

Everyone came back to our place for a cookout. Jake insisted on running the grill. We kept it simple with hot dogs, veggie burgers and a few salads.

We had Seth open his gifts after we ate. Everyone got him something related to his profession, of course. I hadn't any idea what to get the guy, since I barely knew him. I thought a new set of scrubs would be fitting, and with Bella's help, chose a pair that had kittens on them when we had shopped for linens.

She swore he would love them. And he did. Seth giggled like a teenaged girl when he opened it.

Everyone was tired after the long day of fun. Both the Whitlock's and McCarty's had to get home to relieve their sitters. Jake and Seth said they had more celebrating to do.

"Maybe you guys have more games to play as well?" I heard Jake say to Bella. He kissed her cheek and she shrugged.

"We'll see." she answered.

"Today was a lot of fun. Thanks for including me." I told both Jake and Seth.

"It wouldn't have been the same without you, Edward." Seth said. He leaned in to give me a hug. "And thank you for the kitties. I love 'em!"

"Do you have to rush off?" Bella asked me after they left.

"No." I smiled. "I'd like to take a shower, but Em won't be back until around ten tomorrow."

"I have an idea." she smiled. "You can use Jake's shower, while I use mine."

I should have thought about it longer than I did. But, my skin was itching from the water and sun and the sunscreen. I needed to get it off.

As I soaped up in the shower, I realized that Bella was on the other side of the wall doing the same thing. I finished up quickly and borrowed a pair of shorts from a pile on Jake's bed.

I bypassed Bella's room without even looking in the open door. If I saw her, I'm not sure I could continue walking by.

I sat in the dim living room to wait. Even alone, the air was heavy. Full of tension and longing. I glanced over my shoulder when I heard her soft footfalls on the stairs.

My breath caught in my throat when I noticed that Bella still had a towel wrapped around her.

"Oh good," she sighed. "you're still here."

Bella sat next to me, laying her head on my shoulder. Her hair was still wet and it clung to my chest. Her finger burned a path up and down my arm as she stroked it.

"Bella." I said quietly. "Sweetheart? I'm gonna get going."

Her deep sigh drove a stake through my heart. I had no way to convince her that this was all about me and my baggage that I was dealing with. I wouldn't put all that weight on her, that's why I was waiting. And I didn't think she would understand that.

I kissed a very sad Bella good night and left for my house. I heard the door shut loudly and knew that she wasn't happy with me.

I spent the rest of the night staring out my window at hers.

I laid in my bed letting my mind race over the past few months of my life. Looking back at the life Kate and I shared, I realized that the only thing we actually shared was a name and a house. Everything else had been a front for lies, deceit and unhappiness.

Here I was now and I had everything. Friends that were more like family, a new career path and Bella. She was honest and pure, forthright and genuine. And I think that I am falling in love with her.

The realization hit me, knocking the breath from my chest. I had almost everything that I wanted, right here, a few steps from my door. Anything that I didn't have yet, I'm sure would follow soon enough.

* * *

**A/N: Sounds like Edward has his mind made up. Things are getting pretty tense between these two, I see it blowing up soon. What do you think? I'd love to know! Thank you for reading**

**Updates sitting in my inbox waiting patiently to be read:**

**-Ghostly Double by DreamofRob10**

**-Another Life by DreamofRob10**

**-The Real Life of E A Masen by Vancouver-Canuk-Girl**

**-TheQueenWriter just finished Out of the Blue, so if you've been waiting for it to finish before reading, GO! There's an Epi to follow shortly. **

**Make sure you leave these ladies some love. **

**(There's usually more than this, but I don't read a lot when I'm writing.)**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Sorry this is late! Just a quick note-I did not get to any of the reviews from the last posting. I'm going to skip responding for that one chapter, simply because I didn't have the time. I did and do read each one and appreciate that you took the time to comment! I WILL be responding to future ones, though. It was just a rough couple of weeks. **

**Okay! I believe this chapter is what you've been waiting for. I hope you enjoy it!**

**Rated M **

**Twilight and it's characters are the property of S. Meyers**

* * *

Walk

Chapter 11

BPOV

I purposely planned on staying away from Edward the day after our trip down the Lower Salt. It wasn't so much that I was angry with him; frustrated, to be sure, but not angry. I knew he was wrestling with something, though I wasn't sure exactly what.

I contemplated it while I painted the shed.

He had voiced his concern over our age difference, but it wasn't so much me that he took issue with; it was him. I had no problem with it at all. He was a sexy man, and I didn't see that changing just because he was older than me. Edward would always be sexy to me. Not that that's all I saw him as; he was smart and funny and so very sweet.

Whatever his issues were, I didn't want to add to the burden by pushing him when he obviously wasn't ready. That didn't relieve the small amount of pissiness I was feeling, however.

I had just finished painting one side of the shed, when I heard a vehicle pull in. It was moving fast, and came to a gravel-crunching stop. As the plume of dust settled, I watched a silhouette emerge from the opposite side of the truck.

"Ah, Bella." the voice spoke. It had a quasi-French accent to it that could only belong to one person. Laurent Thompson.

"Laurent." I forced a smile onto my face.

When he was about ten feet from me, he slowed his pace and eyed me slowly up and down.

"So nice to see you, my Bella." he said, trying to be suave. I wasn't insulted. He was so obviously pompous and arrogant, I found it hilarious. I tried my hardest to choke back the giggle that was threatening to erupt.

"How are you, Laurent? It's been a while." I met him half way, offering him my hand to shake.

"I was traveling the continent for a few weeks. I thought I told you?" he said, laying on the French accent heavily. This guy was such a poser. I knew for a fact that he came from very humble beginnings deep in the Louisiana bayou. The only French he had in him was from a few generations before him.

"Oh yeah, the trip to Europe." I mused, remembering our last conversation.

"It was divine." he smiled, looking off in the distance. "How is Zeus?" he asked. I headed toward the barn with him following.

"He's good. Edward has been keeping him exercised." I spoke louder than necessary to alert Edward that we had company. He was working on something in the far corner. I watched him turn to look before I walked over to Zeus' stall.

"Edward? Whom, pray tell, is Edward?" Laurent sniffed.

"Edward is half owner of this property now. He is starting up a therapy farm." He joined us at the stall, wiping his hands on a rag. "Edward, this is Laurent Thompson. Zeus' owner." I said. "Laurent, this is Edward Cullen."

"Therapy farm?" Laurent questioned.

"I'm a Pediatric rehabilitation doctor." Edward said.

"_You're_ a doctor?" Laurent sneered. I think, though, that he was intimidated by Edward. Laurent looked up at him then took a couple steps back.

"I'll be using the horses to help rehabilitate kids." Edward explained. "Other facilities like this have had a lot of success." Edward completely ignored Laurent's insult about him being a doctor.

"Bully for you." Laurent said, then turned to me as if Edward wasn't even there. "I thought doctors wore suits and white coats?" he said to me.

"Excuse me for a moment, please." Edward said, rolling his eyes at me.

"Did you want to ride Zeus today?" I asked Laurent.

"Oh, heaven's no. I'm expected at a gala soon. I just wanted to come see that he was well. I may bring some new acquaintances out to see him soon."

Edward returned as quickly as he left. "Mr. Thompson, I was wondering if you'd sign this release to allow me to use Zeus in the therapy program?" he offered the man a clipboard and a pen.

"Are you serious?" he said.

"Yes, I am. He's a great animal and I think he'd benefit the program nicely."

"What do I get for it?" Laurent asked.

"Nothing but the satisfaction you get from helping others." Edward answered.

"I don't think so." Laurent laughed, handing the clipboard back to Edward.

I mouthed an 'I'm sorry' to Edward.

"Why don't you think about it?" Edward folded the paper then handed it to Laurent. He took it and shoved it hastily into his pocket.

"I'd like to see my horse, please." Laurent said stiffly. Edward stared at the back of Laurent's head in disbelief.

After getting a lead on Zeus, I went back to my painting and allowed Laurent his 'quality' time with his horse. All he would end up doing is feeding him a couple of apples and walking him around the pasture.

The wind picked up and I looked towards the sky. I could smell the rain in the air. I saw some angry looking clouds off in the distance and decided to quit painting for the day.

I went inside to change and make a quick lunch. I watched Laurent out the window as he tried leading Zeus to the barn. He was antsy and didn't want to go in. It didn't help at all that Laurent might as well have been a stranger, as much as his owner showed up to see him.

I decided to go out and give the guy a hand-to get rid of him faster, if nothing else.

I took the lead from the short, pudgy man and spoke softly to the horse. I stroked the side of his head and started walking towards the barn, Laurent followed solemnly.

As I closed the gate, I turned to find Laurent standing uncomfortably close. We were practically nose to nose.

"Laurent, what are you doing?" I asked, pressing myself back against the stall gate.

"You are a very fetching young woman, Bella." he said. I slid away from him and put a few feet between us.

"Laurent, we've been through this before. I am not interested in you that way. You are a client and I'd rather not cross that line." I said as politely as I could.

He and I had danced this little cha-cha a time or two. He paid a nice fee for boarding Zeus and I tried to placate him as much as I could, without giving in to him or losing him as a client.

"But Bella, you'd love this little gala I'm about to attend. Of course, I'd have to wait for you to get ready, but what an entrance we'd make!" he said excitedly.

"No, Laurent, but thank you for the offer."

Before I could say anything more, Edward was at my shoulder pointing a finger at Laurent.

"I believe that Bella declined your advances. I think you'd better be on your way."

"Excuse me?" Laurent sputtered.

"Besides, Bella is taken." Edward added.

"I think you need to teach him some manners, Bella." Laurent straightened his puffy tie. "I'll be in touch." he said, as he moved quickly out of the barn.

I turned to face Edward.

"What in the hell was that?" I said sharply. Edward ignored me as he watched Laurent heave himself up into his truck.

"That guy is a dick."

"Yes, and?" I replied.

"Bella, he was hitting on you." Edward spoke as if I had no clue.

"No shit, Edward. He does it almost every other time he's here." I was fuming. "Where do you get off getting in his face? Laurent is MY client, not yours."

"He spoke to you as if you were beneath him; like you were a piece of meat!" Edward yelled. His loud voice reverberated off the barn walls. "And, I was NOT going to stand here and listen to him hit on my girlfriend."

"So what if he does? You don't seem to want me!" I yelled, but immediately regretted saying it.

The wind gusted through the barn and thunder rumbled. I heard some of the horses whinny, getting agitated by the storm.

Edward and I stared at each other, both our chests heaving from the adrenaline rush of our argument.

"You know that isn't true, Bella." Edward said, somewhat softer than before.

"Do I?" I shook my head. "Every time things start to get heated between us, you run off claiming we need to slow down." I didn't care at this point that I was yelling. The storm brewed outside and seemed to be fueling me. "I don't want to slow down, Edward. I'm beginning to think that it really does have something to do with me!"

Edward stared at me for what seemed like a long time. I heard the rain pelt the roof, so loud it sounded like hail. All of a sudden, I was in Edward's arms being pushed back against the stalls.

His lips were urgent and his large, warm hands roamed all over my body. I could not stop the whimper that felt like it came all the way from my toes. That only spurred him on. I felt his hands on the backs of my bare thighs. I gripped his shoulders and allowed him to lift me, tightly wrapping my legs around him.

Edward's lips left mine and traveled to my throat. "I want you so fucking bad, Bella," he whispered. Then at my ear, "I'm not slowing down this time."

As if to punctuate this, Edward pressed his hardness against me. I moaned and bucked against him, not caring that I sounded so desperate; I was desperate. I wanted him, I needed him. Right here, right now.

EPOV

Lying awake for a few hours thinking about my life and what it had become caused me to get up later than usual. After I finished with the morning feed and was coming out of the barn, I saw Bella. She was walking towards the small shed with a gallon of paint.

I wasn't sure how to approach her after the previous night, so like a jackass, I didn't. Instead, I got started on my own project.

I heard someone pull in and stuck my head out the barn door to see who it was. After the dust cleared I saw a rotund, little man approaching Bella. It was obvious that they knew each other, so I went back to my work.

A short time later, Bella and her friend entered the barn. Hearing my name and seeing Bella look at me expectantly, I went over to join them. As soon as the guy opened his mouth, I could tell he was a jerk. When he insulted me, I let it pass, however. Part of being in any business, is that you have to learn how to use finesse to get what you want from people. My ultimate goal was to have Zeus as part of my program. As spirited as he was, it was doubtful that any child would ride him, but I thought that his presence would be beneficial.

I was astounded when he declined. Most people actually _want_ to help the less fortunate. Coupled with the fact that the guy was never around, I thought he would accept my offer.

After I handed him the release form, I went back to my corner. I had put in a railing and was making a sturdy set of steps to be used for the kids to get into the saddle.

I could tell that Zeus didn't like Laurent. I bet I spent more time with his horse in the last couple of months than he did in the past six.

I was minding my own business when I heard Laurent re-enter the barn. The wind had picked up and the other horses were beginning to get restless. After I heard Bella tell him that she was not interested in something, I got up and moved closer.

The little fucker was actually trying to get Bella to go somewhere with him. I instantly saw red; I suppose, in retrospect, it was actually green. I knew in the back of my mind that I had nothing to be jealous of, especially with this guy. It didn't stop me from getting in his face, though.

I heard Bella yelling at me, but I was fixated on watching the asshole leave. We argued for a few minutes. She was upset that I treated her client so rudely, but I sensed there was something more to this.

As soon as she uttered that I didn't seem to want her, it was like a gut punch. Of course, she had no idea about the epiphany I'd had the previous night. Here I had asked her to be honest and forthcoming, yet I was guilty of doing the opposite.

"I'm beginning to think it really does have something to do with me." Bella's voice relayed so much more than her words. I heard the hurt and doubt in it. Things that I had put there.

I watched Bella for a few minutes and was awestruck.

Her eyes were on fire, dancing brilliantly. She was flushed an attractive pink from her cheeks to her heaving breasts. The wind blew through the barn, whipping her hair around her face. I'd never seen Bella so beautiful.

I grabbed her up, pushing her against the stall behind her. Our lips sizzled when they touched. I felt her fingers glide over my skin, blazing a trail from my arms to the back of my neck.

I let my own hands go where they wanted. Cupping her perfect ass in my hands, then around her waist. I trailed them down to her thighs. When she moaned into my mouth, I needed her closer, wrapped around me. As soon as I touched the backs of her thighs, she responded just as I wanted her to.

"I want you so fucking bad, Bella." I said against her throat. When my lips found her ear, I whispered that I was not stopping this time. To prove my point, I thrusted against the heat I felt pressing on me.

"Edward..." Bella muttered, rocking her hips.

I slipped her shirt off and began kissing the sweet, tender skin above her breasts. I felt her head dip towards mine and looked up to see her lips seeking mine again. Bella's tongue was warm and soft, allowing me to have my way with her. She whimpered and moaned softly with every touch.

When I slowed my kisses and pulled my head away, she looked incredulous.

"Y-you said..." she started. I shook my head and gave her a quick kiss.

"I'm not stopping. I'm just wondering if the place is wrong. We should go inside." I suggested.

"No. I'm not letting you go, not even to go inside." Bella said all breathy. "Right here, Edward. Please."

Bella's lips were red and puffy, her face was still flushed and she felt so warm in my arms. She leaned forward and pressed her lips at the base of my throat. I felt her tongue lick at me before she moved around to my neck.

I looked around and saw two fresh bales of hay. I had a fairly clean blanket that I could use to soften it up more.

"Bella, I'm not doing this against the stalls. At least not right now." I gave her a smile. She nodded and loosened her legs.

When she was steady on her feet, I kicked the hay around and grabbed the blanket. I ran my hand over it to make sure nothing was sticking up to jab her in the back.

I turned back to Bella and saw her standing in nothing but her panties. White, silky little things. Her arms were crossed over her chest, but if the wind wasn't whipping through the barn, I bet her hair would've done the job. I held my hand out to her.

Bella sat next to me, working the buttons on my shirt while I suckled her neck.

"Shit!" I said suddenly, making her jump.

"What?" she asked, looking around the barn.

"I uh...I don't have a condom. I wasn't exactly expecting this." I chuckled.

Bella smiled, looking relieved. "It's okay, Edward. I'm covered."

I stared at her, taking in her beautiful features. She sat before me looking so vulnerable. She watched me watching her and I saw that she was starting to fret again.

"Poor girl," I muttered, leaning my head to hers. I kissed her softly. "You keep thinking that I'm going to pull away from you, don't you?" I kissed her again and I felt her nod slightly.

"I'm not."

I laid Bella back onto the blanket then stripped everything off but my briefs. I moved her hair from her shoulders so I could see her fully.

"My god, you're beautiful." I watched the blush grow from the swell of her breasts to her face.

I positioned myself between her legs, leaning most of my weight on my forearms. My lips started on hers. After a hot, wet kiss, I moved down her neck and to her chest.

"Edward...", Bella moaned quietly.

I reached out with one hand to touch her breast, squeezing it gently before running my thumb over her nipple. It pebbled immediately and I dropped my head to taste it.

Bella's hands went to my hair, pulling me in as I sucked on her. I moved to the other breast and gave it the same attention as the first.

"That feels so good." she said softly. Her legs wrapped around me and she lifted herself to me, rocking against my hardened cock.

I pushed back, enjoying the pressure and friction. I continued my assault on her breasts. They fit nicely in my hands and I loved the noises Bella made as I licked and flicked her nipples.

I reached back to unlock her legs so I could move my attentions south. Placing wet, open mouthed kisses along her belly, I made it down to her panties.

"I really love these, but they have to go." With my fingers at either hip, I snagged them and pulled them slowly down her legs.

I stared like a man who'd never seen a naked woman before. Bella wasn't bare, but close. She had a wide strip of hair on the top, and nothing else.

Starting at her knees, I kissed and licked my way back up. I couldn't keep my eyes off her. Bella was so wet for me, she was glistening.

I bent my head and pressed my tongue against her, tasting the wetness. I was only planning on tasting her, but when she yelped and bucked her hips, I had to do more.

"Bella, is this okay?" I asked, pressing my finger against her clit.

"Uh-huh." she said.

I rubbed her clit while licking and kissing her inner thigh, getting closer to where she wanted me with every move.

Gently, I pushed a finger inside her. Bella's breath hitched as I started moving it in and out of her hot center. Still licking and sucking her clit, she became more erratic. Moans and groans spilled from her mouth.

I moved back up to her, adding another finger. My lips found hers as I pumped into her more rapidly. I left her lips and took a nipple into my mouth, twirling my tongue around it until I heard Bella start to come undone.

Bella cried out as she came around my fingers. She looked like an angel. My angel.

"So beautiful." I whispered against her lips.

Bella's hands were on my Jockey's, pulling at them. I quickly got out of them and got between her legs again.

I meant to look into her eyes as I entered her, but the feeling that overtook me was sublime. She felt perfect, like she was made for me.

I slowly pushed inside of her and opened my eyes. Bella was staring back at me, mouth slightly open and eyes full of something I hadn't seen in a long time. Desire, lust, need, passion, serenity, satisfaction...it was all there in her eyes, along with a glimmer that I didn't recognize.

"Edward." Bella moaned my name as I pushed fully inside her. Her legs resumed their position around my waist and I began to move.

Bella moved rhythmically with me, her nails digging into me when I'd thrust a little harder.

"You feel so good, Bella. You fit around me like a glove, so hot...wet...ahh..." I didn't want it to end. I wanted to keep going, feeling her slide up and down my cock. The sensation was indescribable.

I could hear and feel Bella getting closer to the edge and realized that I would not be able to continue once she was there. I pulled her knee back and began to piston into her.

"Oh yesss. Harder, Edward," she breathed. Lightening flashed and the wind howled.

"You like it hard, Bella?" I asked. Her eyes shot open and a smile crept across her face.

"Yes." she said simply.

The thunder rolled outside as I lifted her other leg up, placing them both on my shoulders. My fingers dug into her hips as I gave it to her just as she asked. I proved myself wrong and lasted past her second orgasm. But only just. Her muscles rippled along my cock and I had to fight to not explode. I didn't want to cum by fucking her like a madman, not the first time, anyway.

I slowed my movements and removed her legs from my shoulders, lowering my body to hers. Kissing her and giving two final thrusts, I came deep inside her, shuddering and shaking all the way.

I think I might have actually blacked out for a moment. I opened my eyes with my head lying on Bella's shoulder, her hands stroking me gently. Our skin was sweaty and we kind of stuck together.

"God, Edward. That was incredible." Bella spoke first.

"It was." I kissed her deeply. "Let's go inside and do it again."

"Oh no, I've created a monster." she said dramatically, then giggling.

I kissed her senseless as I let my hands wander over her body.

"Your place or mine?" Bella asked in a breathy sigh.

"Yours. Let me wrap things up out here and I'll be there in a few minutes." I plucked a couple of pieces of hay from her hair.

"Okay." she smiled, but didn't move to get up.

"What is it?" I asked. Bella wanted to say something, I could see it all over her face.

"I, uh..." she stuttered. "I'll make us something to eat, okay?" she finally said.

"Food isn't exactly what's on my mind, but yes, that sounds good." I smiled, handing Bella her clothes.

I watched her shimmy into her shorts and shirt, foregoing the bra and panties. She just shrugged at me with a smile.

"I'll see you in a little bit." She bent down and kissed me before prancing out the door.

After pulling my jeans on, I shook out the blanket and laid it across some unbroken bales of hay. I made sure the horses were all set, then ran up to my place for a change of clothes.

I grabbed some condoms, just in case Bella changed her mind. I was giddy as shit, chuckling and humming to myself as I rummaged through my clothes.

_Why the hell had I waited so long? _

I knew the answer to that, but right now it didn't seem as rational as it once had.

I gave myself a quick pit sniff and realized that I'd been sweating all day. I jumped in and took the fastest shower of my life, making sure that all the crucial areas were clean and fresh.

I knocked on the back door of Bella's house only as a courtesy, then walked in. I didn't hear anything, so I kept moving through the house to the stairs. I could hear Bella singing, and followed her voice.

Bella was singing in the shower. Her voice was muffled by the water, but I could make out some of the words.

_*Like sugar and cyanide  
These worlds are gonna collide  
I want to yell it from the rooftops down  
Until it's over, and we're older_

_So take me, bu..._

I tapped on the door, interrupting her.

"Can I come in?" I asked tentatively, peeking around the door. I didn't want to overstep.

"I was just about to get out." I heard the taps turn and the water stop.

"Damn. Guess I should have gotten over here quicker." I deadpanned. I was in uncharted territory. Just because we christened the barn, it didn't give me free reign. "I'll wait out here."

"Okay." Bella stuck her head out around the shower curtain with her eyebrows stitched together. "I'll be right out."

I backed out closing the door and leaned against the wall, berating myself. I should have just waited out here in the first place. A few minutes later, I heard the door knob turn, and I pushed off the wall.

Bella was a sight to behold. She was wearing a short, shimmery, dark green robe. Her hair was wet and she was toweling the ends of it.

"Hi." she smiled softly.

"Hi." I smiled back.

This felt more awkward than it should, and I didn't understand why. Had I done something? Was I too rough with her?

"Edward, you should know that I was hoping you'd get here and join me in there." she pointed a thumb at the bathroom. "You seem nervous. What's going on?" Bella's arms dropped to her sides, the towel hung down to the floor.

"I guess I'm not sure where the boundaries are. This is so new to me, I feel like it's my first time." I tried to explain.

"Boundaries?" she smiled. "Edward, I want you. Not just your body, but all of you, as often as I can get it." Bella got on her toes and kissed me. "I want familiarity and pet names, dates and sleepovers. I don't want any boundaries."

Bella took my hand and led me down the hall to her room. One of the curtains was drawn, allowing a shadowy light to fill the room. I set my clothes on her dresser and followed her to the bed.

"Pet names, huh?" I asked. She turned and sat on the side of the bed. Bella had a coy little smile on her face. "Snookums?" I chuckled.

"Eww, no." she laughed.

"Hmm," I sat next to her. "Pooky?" I said quietly, running a finger along the opening of her robe. My finger stroked along her skin. Bella hummed, shaking her head.

She pulled at the tie, letting her robe fall open. I put my arm around her, pulling her down to the bed on top of me.

"God, you smell good." I buried my face in the hair at her neck, inhaling deeply before placing a hot, wet kiss on her skin. Bella's own breath shuddered and her hand stroked over my chest.

Bella began kissing her way down my body as I ran my fingers through her hair. At the same time I felt hers on the snap of my jeans, her hot, wet tongue danced along the waistline. Bella popped the snap and slowly unzipped me, her lips tasting the skin as it was revealed to her.

My head snapped up, with eyes open wide. She wasn't going to do what I think she's going to do...was she?

"B-bella," I muttered.

"Sshhh." she licked my pelvic bone and tugged at my jeans. I lifted up and let her remove them.

Bella was on her knees, eye level with my cock. She dropped my pants on the floor and stood up, letting her robe fall. Bella got back on the bed, kneeling beside me.

When she leaned over and put her mouth on me, all the breath left my lungs, but I kept my eyes on her.

"Unhh. Fuuck." I groaned. Bella's eyes snapped to mine. I looked at her, trying to decipher what I saw there. My own eyes narrowed. "You liked that, huh?" I chuckled.

Bella continued her attentions, bobbing her head in long, slow strokes. I moaned and ran my hand over the curves of her body. I traced a few fingers up her back and into her hair, winding them in it's soft silkiness.

"Jesus, Bella." I panted. "Fuck, that feels so good."

A moan escaped the beautiful woman and she quickened her pace. I couldn't stop my hips from bucking against her mouth and applying pressure to her head. It had been so long since I'd been on the receiving end.

As soon as I realized what I was doing I dropped my hand from her head. Bella continued, but slowed, with one hand stroking me while the other started fondling my balls. She pulled off my cock and sat up, looking sexier than I had ever seen a woman look.

"Bella, that was incredible." She leaned down and pressed her mouth to mine. I put both hands on either side of her face, and held her there, deepening the kiss.

Straddling me, Bella reached behind her to grasp my shaft, sliding it between her moist lips.

"Thank you, but I'm not done with you yet." Bella's voice was brassy and deep and so damn sexy.

Bella held her breath as she slid down my slick cock. My hands dug into her hips and I fought the urge to thrust; I wanted her perfectly comfortable.

When Bella was fully seated with my cock deep inside her, a rush of breath left her and she smiled down at me. I let my hands wander up her body, cupping her flawless breasts. When she moved, I squeezed them. She whimpered and I rolled her nipples between my thumb and forefinger. Bella moaned and rose almost off my dick, before slamming back down.

Then she started rocking, like she was trying to touch someplace deep inside her and couldn't get to it. I put my arms around her and flipped her onto her back.

Staying on my knees, I lifted her hips and began thrusting, trying to reach that place she couldn't.

"There," she gasped. "right there. Fuck, Edwaard..."

Bella was at the edge, ready to fall. I spread her legs wider with my hands on her knees and slammed into her. I could feel her getting tighter around my cock and I was going to be right there with her. Dropping a hand, I began to rub her clit. Bella put her hand over mine and showed me how she wanted to be touched.

Just as I was ready, Bella's mouth opened and she forced her head back into the pillow. A long moan slipped out of her, and that was all it took. I fell against her with unfamiliar sounds coming out of my mouth.

…

I awoke to an almost completely dark room. There was a small bedside lamp on, and other than myself, an empty bed.

"Oh good, you're awake." I turned my head to see Bella coming in with a plate of fried chicken, she smiled and sat next to me on the bed. "Chicken? It's cold." she shrugged.

I chose a piece and took a bite. Still chewing, I kissed her cheek.

"This is good." I said before the next bite.

"Thank you."

"How long was I sleeping?" I looked around for a clock.

"Not very long. I fell asleep, too." she giggled. It made her breasts bounce and my dick jumped at the sight of it.

I finished the leg of chicken and tossed it onto the plate. Licking my fingers one by one, I eyed the next piece I wanted.

"Another?" she offered me the plate.

"I want a thigh." I let a devilish smile take over my face and bent my head to suckle the creamy skin of her thigh.

"Oh." I heard her piece hit the plate and the rustle of a napkin. Bella's hands were in my hair as I began; I left no area of her thigh neglected.

We spent the rest of the night exploring and learning about each other until we were both completely spent. Bella fell asleep in my arms, her soft sighs lulling me into a deep sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Let me hear it. I know you want to say something! I do hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thank you all for reading!**

***Tonight by Seether**

**No recs this time around, as I've not read a thing except my girl, TheQueenWriter's, Bird Girl. She just updated, check it out. FIESTY Bella and totally swoon-worthy Edward. "... I don't want you to be a fan." Kills me every time I read it. **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Just an FYI, only a few chapters (4 at most) and an Epi left. My thanks to everyone reading, reviewing & alerting. **

**Special thanks to Euphoria9 and TheQueenWriter. They read, suggest and bring me back from the ledge. **

**SM owns Twilight and it's characters.**

* * *

Walk

Chapter 12

EPOV

I could tell by the way the light filtered into the room that it was still early. I looked down and saw the beautiful woman that was wrapped around me.

Bella's silky hair spilled around her shoulders and across my chest. I lightly ran a finger over her arm; her skin was so soft. Under the sheet, one of her legs was lying over mine, intertwined with the other.

I allowed myself to relive the previous night, which truthfully, only ended a few hours ago. I was no stranger to sex, but what we shared last night was more than mere sex.

_Well, a couple of times it was just hardcore fucking._ I chuckled quietly. Bella stirred just a little, hugging me tighter before she resumed her even, measured breathing.

She said she wanted no boundaries. I was all for that-I just wasn't exactly sure how to accomplish it. For close to eight years, I lived my life with a woman who showed little affection on a day to day basis. Our intimacy was practically scheduled and very basic. Kate wouldn't ever let me do what I did to Bella twice last night.

I smiled to myself, recalling the way she tasted and the sounds she made while I was tasting. _I did that to her_. Bella responded to every touch; sighs, whimpers and _oh god_, the moans. She was everything I ever dreamed of. She felt perfect in my arms, against my lips, wrapped tightly around my cock.

I was proud of myself for being able to keep up with Bella. I'm not too proud to admit- to myself anyway, that I had been a little worried.

"Hey." I heard Bella's sleepy voice. I was so lost in my thoughts, I hadn't notice that she woke up.

"Hey yourself." I kissed her forehead.

"You look like you're over thinking something again." Bella observed. I gave her half a smile, because in truth, I probably was. "What's going on?" she propped up on her elbow, her hair tickling me as it moved with her. I watched Bella's brows furrow. "Y-you aren't having regrets, are you?" she asked quietly.

I had put this doubt in her head, and now I was going to have to work to reassure her. I pushed her back gently against the pillow and kissed her softly, but thoroughly.

"No." I whispered against her lips. "The only thing I regret is pushing you away." I felt her smile.

"Then what were you thinking about?" Bella looked into my eyes. I wasn't used to sharing my thoughts. I had learned to internalize a lot.

"You," I smiled. "me...Kate." I said hesitantly. Bella wanted my thoughts, so I gave in and admitted to thinking about my soon to be ex-wife.

"Edward, you can talk about her." she brushed my hair back from my forehead, running her finger down my cheek. "She was part of your life. You don't have to pretend like she never existed." Bella looked up at me with great sincerity.

"I wish I could do just that." I sighed.

"She better hope that I never run into her." Bella muttered, as I laid back down. I smiled at that. I liked the feeling of her possessiveness.

"I'm sorry. This is not an appropriate time to talk about my ex."

_I'm such a schmuck. I should be thanking Bella for giving me the best night of my existence instead of talking about Kate._

"Edward, I want you to feel like you can tell me anything, at anytime." Bella traced her finger lazily over my chest. I brought her hand to my lips, kissing her fingers.

"I've never had anything like last night before, Bella." I said quietly. "It..._you, _were incredible." I said, pressing my lips to her hair.

"Mmm," she hummed, "so were you." Bella lifted her lips to mine. "But, it wasn't like you tied me up and spanked me." she laughed, poking me in the ribs. Her words made my semi-hard cock dance under the sheet.

"Kate was always very straightforward. Kissing, a little foreplay, then get the deed done." I paused for a moment. "I really don't want to talk about my ex-wife." I really didn't; comparing her to Bella seemed almost blasphemous.

"I don't either. I'd rather make you forget all about her." Bella stroked her leg up mine, lightly brushing my erection.

"I need to get up and feed the horses soon." I groaned, thinking out loud. All I really wanted to do was stay right here in bed with Bella.

"Yes, but that can wait a while longer." she said seductively. The next thing I felt was Bella's lips on my chest and her slithering down my body.

"_Jesus, _Bella." I hissed as her hot, wet mouth wrapped around my cock.

She proceeded to give me the best blow job of my life. When the tingling started at the base of my spine, I gently tried to push her away.

"Bella, _ungh_...baby, I'm gonna cum._ Fuck_!" Rather than pulling off my cock, Bella sped up. I looked down to see her cheeks hollowed out and when I felt her teeth graze along my shaft, I was done.

It felt like Bella was making love to me with her mouth, something I never had the pleasure of experiencing before. Along with that, she swallowed everything I gave her, and _that_ is what made it the best blow job I'd ever received.

When my body stopped convulsing, I reached down and hooked my hands under her arms, pulling her up to me. I kissed her mouth hard, not caring that it just had a load of my jizz swimming around in it.

I wrapped an arm tightly around her and gave her the pleasure she had just given me, but with my fingers deep inside her and my mouth all over the upper half of her body.

...

Bella told me that I could use Jake's shower. "If we do it together, I'll never let you go today." she explained.

I didn't have a problem not leaving her, but we both had things to do today. So, in the interest of getting something accomplished, I went into Jake's room to shower.

Jake's bathroom was small, almost like a closet that was made into a tiny bathroom. It had all the essentials though-a shower stall, a small sink and the john.

While I wasn't exactly sore, I could tell that I'd used some muscles that I haven't had to in a while. That being the case-the hot water felt great, but I wanted to save some for Bella.

I dried off my body, then put the towel on my head and turned the light off. I walked out into Jake's room, scrubbing my hair of the dripping water. I heard a manly gasp and knew instantly that I wasn't alone.

Tearing the towel off my head, I scrambled to cover myself.

"Too late. I've already seen the goods." Jake snickered. "And let me just say that Bella is one lucky whore."

I was slightly embarrassed and also...slightly pissed. _Whore?_ I don't think so.

"Actually, I'm the lucky one. But if you ever call Bella a whore again, you and I will have words." I leveled my eyes at him, enjoying the image of him shrinking back from me.

I knew they were friends and that Bella saw Jake as more of a brother, but there were lines you didn't cross.

"Jeeeez, Edward." he exaggerated. "I was joking. It's like slang. Whore, girlfriend, woman...ya' get it?" he tried to explain. "Get with it, Daddy-O." he laughed. "I know you're older but, c'mon."

"Yeah." I guess I may have over reacted. "Sorry, I suppose I'm just not fond of that particular description being applied to Bella."

"No problem, man. I'll check myself in the future." he smiled. "No hard feelings?" he asked, eyeing me up and down with a furtive glance.

"Nah." I sighed, starting to feel uncomfortable standing mostly naked in Jake's room. "Thanks for the use of your shower." I looked down at the bed and saw the shorts I had borrowed a couple of days ago. They weren't there when I went in. Bella must have laid them out. "Do you mind if I borrow these again?" I asked, picking up the shorts.

"Not at all." Jake smiled, but still making no move to leave. "I can't wait to tell Seth that you were in my shower." he muttered. "I think he has a little crush on you."

If I was uncomfortable before, I was close to jumping out of my skin now. It wasn't the gay aspect of the situation; I couldn't care any less, actually. If a person was happy, and being true to themselves, then more power to them. I'd be feeling the same way right now if it was a girl that Jake was talking about. I was not used to being the object of anyone's obsession.

"I'll leave so you can cover that yumminess, but if you ever decide you want to switch teams, promise you'll look me up." Jake laughed. I shuddered then realized that Jake was _still_ laughing. In fact, I heard him laughing his happy ass all the way down the stairs.

"He was fucking with me." I said to the empty room.

I threw on the shorts then ran over to my house to get dressed for the day. I was expecting UPS to deliver some of the equipment that James had me order. He was coming back once it was all here.

The rest of the day was a blur of activity. UPS showed up and had everything that I ordered. I called Emmett to let him know and he said he'd be by after lunch to get started. I also put a call in to James. He was surprised that it had all arrived, and that he'd get back to me with his travel plans.

I hadn't seen Bella and was feeling bad about running out on her earlier. I had not planned to just take off, my day just spiraled away from me. So when I heard her back door slam against the wood frame, I smiled to see that she was walking over to me.

"Have you eaten anything today?" she asked casually.

"Not really. I grabbed an apple this morning." I held my arm open from where I sat, inviting her closer. She stepped into my embrace and I kissed her softly.

"I'll make you some lunch, if you like." she offered.

"You don't have to feed me all the time, not that I don't appreciate it." I smiled up at her pretty face.

"I like to do it." she shrugged.

I brought her down to my lap. With a hand around her back and the other on her thigh, I held Bella against my chest and kissed her properly.

"I heard that you spoke to Jake this morning." she chuckled, barely able to hide the laugh. My head fell to Bella's shoulder as I groaned.

"He said that it was very enlightening. What did you two talk about?" she asked innocently.

"Like he didn't tell you? I can see it all over your face."

"Jake may have said something to me about being a lucky bitch." she giggled. "But, I have to agree with him." she said more seriously, pressing her lips to mine. I felt Bella's tongue lick across my lips.

Bella whimpered softly, wrapping her arms around my neck. I leaned back slightly in my chair and let my hand wander to her inner thigh. I wasn't going to take things too much further sitting out here in the open, but I couldn't resist kneading the flesh of her bare thigh. I relished the feeling of her in my arms. Her skin was so very soft and smelled lightly of something sultry, with a hint of flowery sweetness. At the same time, her body had a firmness without being too overly toned. Bella felt like perfection to me.

We slowed ourselves down to light kisses and shifted back to a fully righted position.

Bella pulled away, leaving a fluttery kiss at the corner of my mouth.

"We should talk about Jake some more, though." she spoke hesitantly, her eyes looking at me for some kind of understanding.

"Ah." I sighed. "He told you everything, huh?"

Bella nodded then turned her head towards the driveway as Emmett pulled up.

"Don't you two look cozy." he remarked through his open window. We made no move to change our position as he got out and made his way over to us.

"I should let you guys get to work." Bella said, removing her arms and pushing off my lap. "I'll bring you out a sandwich." she smiled at me. "Emmett, would you like one?"

"I'm all set, Bella. Thanks, though." Emmett said, rubbing a hand over his stomach.

Emmett and I set to work, taking some of the boxes into the barn to get to later. The others we opened right away and got to work on the staging area near the corral gate. Bella brought me out a ham sandwich then left to run some errands.

"The crew will be here first thing next week. I have a couple of jobs we need to finish, then we'll focus our efforts here." Emmett told me. It didn't escape me that Emmett was watching me as my eyes stayed with Bella until she drove off.

"I'm waiting to hear back from James. He'll probably be joining us..." I trailed off as my phone started to ring. I pulled it out of my pocket. "Speak of the devil."

I spoke to James for a few minutes, making plans for his arrival. I offered him my spare room, and he took me up on it.

"So things are good with you two?" Emmett asked, shortly after I ended my call.

"With James?" I asked, somewhat confused. "He's seems like an alright guy." I shrugged.

"No, you dipshit. With Bella." he laughed loudly.

"Oh." I smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. Things are great with Bella." I informed him. I glanced up at her bedroom window while images of our naked bodies floated around in my mind.

"Christ, you got it bad, Edward." Emmett sat back on his heels to look up at me. I looked at him for a moment, then decided to embrace it.

"Yeah, I do. I'm loving it, too." I admitted.

"Right the fuck on, man. It's about time." Emmett smiled, slapping me on the back. "A good woman makes everything better."

The next few days, I worked my ass off trying to get things in order. James emailed me some links to a few local sign companies. I was going to need to come up with a name for this place.

"Cullen's Therapy Ranch?" Bella suggested. She had stayed over the last two nights. I scooped my arm around her, bringing her backside closer to my front. The sex was great, but lying here like this was pretty awesome, too.

"I'm not sure I want my name on it." I hesitated with my next thought. I didn't know if Bella would be happy about my suggestion, or what.

"What would you think of 'Corrine's Heart?'" I asked quietly.

I looked down at her. My vantage point was the back of her head, but I could see the side of her face, as well. I watched her right eye crinkle up, and heard a sharp intake of breath.

"Bella? Baby, are you okay? I'm sorry. It was presumptuous of me. It was just an ide..." my words were cut off by a soft jab to my mid section, via Bella's elbow.

She turned in my arms and pulled herself to eye level. She looked into my eyes with a big smile on her face.

"You would do that?" she whispered.

"Your sister deserves to be honored, Bella. What better way to do that?" I offered.

"I love it." Bella kissed me gently. "Thank you." I watched her carefully for a moment as a look of consternation came over her face.

"What is it?" I asked, smoothing out her furrowed up brow with my finger.

"What if, umm...," she looked at me then darted her eyes quickly away. "what if this doesn't work out though? Us." she clarified.

"Bella," I turned her onto her back, and propped myself above her. "I know this is still new," I paused, searching for the right words. "but, it's like I've been suffocating, and you are the only air I can breathe. I don't know that I could go on without you." I placed a tender kiss on her lips.

Bella wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me down to her. Just as I began to deepen our kiss, my phone started ringing. I had assigned my mother a particular ring tone, and now with images of my mother in my head, I pulled away from Bella.

"I have to get that. It's my mom." Bella smiled to let me know she didn't mind.

"Hello?"

"Edward, it's your mother." she said. "Your father is here, too."

"Here where?" I imagined my dad with his ear pressed next to her phone.

"Well, we're _here, _dear." she said carefully.

"I told you we should have called first." my dad's voice said. The next thing I heard was knocking, simultaneously on my front door, and through the phone.

"Fuck." I muttered. "Bella, my parents are downstairs at my door." I informed her, covering the phone.

We scrambled into our clothes and ran downstairs, with Bella stopping off at the bathroom.

"Just go let them in." she whispered. "I'll be right out." I kissed her quickly and went to the door.

"Mom, Dad." My voice held little enthusiasm as I greeted them.

"I'm sorry Edward. We were in Tucson for a book signing." My dad offered.

"Being so close, we had to stop in to see you." mom explained.

"Yeah, but," I looked at my watch. "You had to have known last night, you could have called." I griped.

"Well, I didn't think it would be a big deal if we popped in on you." Mom's voice stopped abruptly. Her eyes were looking past me, over my shoulder. "Oh." she said quietly.

I looked behind me to find a nervous, fidgeting Bella. She had her hands clasped tightly in front of her. I walked back to where she stood and put my arm around her.

"Bella, these are my parents, Carlisle and Esmeralda Cullen." I used my mother's full name because she hated it so much, just to get back at her for showing up unannounced. She winced however, and broke my resolve. "She hates that, however, and goes by Esme." I gave my mom an apologetic smile. "Mom, Dad, this is my girlfriend, Bella."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bella." My father stepped forward first and took Bella's hand. He was always debonair, and with his warm smile, I'd seen many women fall under his charm. Bella was now included amongst them.

"Thank you," she blushed. "It's nice to meet you, as well."

"Forgive me, Bella." Mother said, joining alongside my dad. "I had no idea, otherwise we would not have intruded." she scowled at me, then smiled for Bella. "What you must think of me." she muttered, looking a little ashamed.

"Well, why don't you three visit while I go to the barn?" Bella offered. "I can make us some lunch at my house and we can meet up there later." she looked at me confidently.

"That sounds great, Bella." my mother said with a big smile.

"It was very nice meeting you." Bella said, placing her hands on both my parent's arms.

"You, as well, young lady." my dad said, watching Bella leave.

As soon as the door closed, the inquisition started. That might be an over dramatization, but, my mother lobbed question after question at me.

"Is this the Bella that owns this place?" my mom asked. "Do you think that is wise, getting involved with your business partner?" she asked again, not waiting for my response. Mom looked at my dad. "And she does seem quite young, Edward."

"Yes, she is the Bella who also owns this property. Getting involved with her is a very good idea. We have it set up very neatly as to what is whose responsibility. Anything in the middle, we share and work together on." I stopped and took a deep breath. "Besides, I'm a grown man, Mother. I can do whatever I want."

My mom stared at me for a minute, then looked at my dad. I saw something pass between them, like an unspoken conversation. My mother's face softened and she kissed my father lightly on his cheek.

"Edward, as long as you are happy, that is all I am concerned with." she said, smiling at me. I let out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding.

"I am." I smiled back. "Bella is everything I never knew I wanted."

"And...um, she _is_ young, right?" mom asked hesitantly.

"Yes. She's 22."

I wasn't going to defend Bella's age to my parents. Many younger girls still had no idea what they wanted out of life, or had even begun to plan it. Bella was not like other girls. I'd let my parents find that out on their own.

"That's my boy." my dad said proudly. Mom elbowed him but smiled.

"If you love her, we will, too." she offered.

"Carl, why don't you go get our bags?" mom asked.

"Bags?" I said. They were planning on staying?

"Do you mind terribly if we stayed with you for a couple of days?"

"No, I don't mind. We'll just have to figure out sleeping arrangements. My designer is coming in tomorrow with his daughter. I offered him my spare room."

My mom looked disappointed. I did want them to stay. I wanted them to see what I was doing here, and to have a chance to get to know Bella. My mother was not as pushy as she came off. I was her only child and I knew she only wanted what was best for me.

"It's okay. Let me talk with Bella and I'm sure we can work this out."

I showed my parents around the house, then took them outside to see the grounds. Zeus took to my dad right away, my mom-not so much. But she was afraid of horses, and I'm certain that he sensed that.

I ushered my parents into Bella's kitchen and saw a massive amount of food. Much more than was necessary for the four of us.

"Babe, what is all this?" Bella was trying to reach a shelf far above her outstretched hand. I lifted the large bowl from the cupboard and handed it to her.

"Well, our little lunch has turned into 'Meet the Cullens'." she sighed. "If you all don't mind waiting another hour or so, my parents and my roommate will be here. They all want to meet you." Bella smiled. "If anyone is hungry, you can munch on this." she pulled a vegetable platter from the refrigerator.

"Excuse us just a moment." I said to my parents. With a hand at Bella's lower back I guided her into the living room.

"Make yourselves at home!" she called over her shoulder.

"What happened?" I asked her.

"My mom called and I told her that your parents were here." she shrugged. "She called back five minutes after we hung up and said that her and dad would be over and to expect Jake and Seth."

"And you've been in here the past hour and a half making food for everyone?"

"Yeah."

"Next time we get a bunch of people for an impromptu visit, tell them to bring food, too. You're supposed to be on vacation."

Bella stared at me with a curious look on her face. I watched her eyes get watery and began to wonder if I had said something wrong.

"Umm...what's wrong?" I asked.

"No one has ever supported me like that. You were looking out for me." she said with a big grin.

"Well, yeah. You shouldn't have to cook for all these people because they invited themselves over."

"Gosh, I love you." Bella said, still grinning. We stared at each other and for a moment, it seemed that time had stopped. I was about to respond, until my mother interrupted us.

"Bella, where ever did you get this serving dish?" she called from the kitchen.

"Uh," Bella answered her, but looked at me. "hold that thought." she whispered, kissing my lips.

Bella just told me that she loved me. The way she said it though, it could have easily been construed as more of a 'wow, you're great', and not an actual 'I love you'. It had felt real, though. I noticed that my step was lighter as I rejoined everyone in the kitchen.

BPOV

_WOW!_

I just told Edward that I loved him. I had already known this for a while, having felt it as it rattled around inside me, just begging for me to let loose and tell him. It was too soon when I first realized it. I don't think he would have been ready to hear it.

I sat down and talked to Edward's parents. They both seemed very nice and I was eager to get to know them. Edward stood behind me for a while with his hands on my shoulders. He'd give me a gentle squeeze every now and then, and even kissed the top of my head a few times.

"Edward, sit down, boy. You're giving me a crick in my neck." his dad finally said.

My parents arrived and joined us all in the kitchen. Edward offered his chair to my mom as we introduced them to each other. Mom asked where Jake was and I then had two curious faces looking at me. I decided to tell the Cullens about Jake, so there weren't any misunderstandings after he joined us.

"My roommate's name is Jake." I laughed nervously. I wasn't used to explaining Jake's situation, and even at that, I almost felt like it was wrong to explain. But I wanted them to accept him and not have him, or anyone else, feel uncomfortable.

"Your roommate is a man?" Esme asked, looking at her husband then at her son.

"Yes. We grew up together and he is my best friend." I defended. Something about Esme's tone irritated me.

"Jake is the sweetest boy." my mom said, intervening. "He and Bella are more like siblings than friends." My mother's statement and smile seemed to take everything down a notch or two.

"Jake is gay, Mom." Edward explained. "Please don't make him feel uncomfortable in his own home. He really is a great guy."

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. Edward sticking up for Jake just sealed the deal in my eyes. I hugged him tightly and kissed his chest.

"I don't care if the boy is gay or not, Edward." Esme laughed. "I'm a modern woman. The only thing I was concerned about was that your girlfriend is living with another man. Now that I understand things, I have no issue."

My mother rose from her seat and approached Bella. "I'm sorry, Bella. I hope that I didn't insult you. That was not my intention. Edward has been through a lot and I played a part in that." Esme patted Edward's cheek lightly. "I suppose that I harbor some guilt over it, and I'm just trying to look out for him."

"Esme." Carlisle's tone implied that this was something they had talked about before.

"Yes, dear, I know." she answered him. "I'm doing my very best not to influence Edward. Lord knows where that got us before." she sighed, then cast her eyes downward. "My apologies to you all."

"Aww, Es." my mom sighed. "You're just being a mom. I get that." she stood from her seat. "Let's get some coffee and sit on the front porch. I'd like to get to know you a little better. Charlie, you sit here and talk to Carlisle. Bella, is everything ready?"

"Yes. The meatballs are in the oven, the rest is done." I smiled. My mom just took all the tension and swept it out the door. "Thank you." I whispered as I gave her a hug.

Jake and Seth showed up about thirty minutes after our discussion and everyone seemed to be getting along just fine. Jake told everyone about the success he was enjoying, and how he thanked my mother most of all for that.

The afternoon was easy and enjoyable. Esme pulled me aside at one point to apologize again. She said that she had just been caught off guard with all the changes in Edward's life.

"But I've been watching him this afternoon, Bella. I've never seen him more at ease and happy. I think you have a lot to do with that." She gave me a big hug, and I knew from that point on, everything was going to be fine.

It turned to dusk and we started to clean up. Everyone pitched in so it didn't take long. Edward's parents went out on the porch with mine as Jake made margaritas.

"Damn!" he yelped. The lid wasn't all the way on the blender and he got the front of his shirt sprayed. Jake pulled it over his head and excused himself to get a fresh one.

I saw Edward looking at him as he walked out of the kitchen.

"What happened to him?" he said quietly. Seth came over and put his arms around me, laying his head on my shoulder.

Edward was asking about the scars on Jake's back. They weren't hard to miss.

"He was jumped one night coming out of a bar." I said in a hushed tone.

"The first gay bar he had ever went to." Seth interjected.

"A bunch of drunk red necks jumped him and pulled him into the alley. They beat him and cut him with a broken bottle." I said softly. I didn't like remembering what had happened.

"Why?" Edward asked, totally missing the reason.

"Because he's gay." Seth answered sadly.

I watched Edward's face and saw a lot of things pass through his eyes. He dropped his head, shaking it as he looked at his feet.

"But," Seth's voice was lighter, "that is how we met. Jake and I have been together ever since." he smiled.

Jake came back and none of us let on what we had been talking about. Edward walked over to him though and clapped him on the shoulder, asking if he wanted any help.

No one was in the mood to get hammered, so we each had one drink and started saying good night. Edward walked his parents over to his house to help get them settled, telling me that he would be back shortly.

My parents waved as the Cullens started for the bunk house, and Jake grabbed some clothes, telling me he was 'outta here' too.

I was left standing all alone in my house rather abruptly. It seemed fitting, given the way the day had started. All I wanted to do was take a nice hot bath and get into bed. And I didn't want to do it alone.

I sent Edward a quick text to let him know where to find me, and proceeded to start my bath water.

No sooner had I got into the tub, I heard Edward's heavy footfalls on the stairs. As he made his way closer to the bathroom, the butterflies were dancing around in my belly. This man reduced me to a pile of goo with his very presence.

He walked into the dimly lit bathroom and my breath caught in my throat. He had taken his shirt off and stood before me in only his jeans. They sat just below his belly button and gave me a great view of his sexy chest and stomach.

Edward didn't have rock hard, solid abs. You could definitely see them, though. He was perfectly hard and soft, at the same time. Just enough give to his belly. The light smattering of hair that covered him was very sexy, as well. Not too much, but just enough. It seemed as if he was made for me. I found everything about him sexy.

"What are you looking at?" he said quietly, as I eye fucked him from the water.

I looked up at him and smiled. "Today was pretty crazy, huh?"

"Yeah." Edward slid out of his jeans and jockeys, and walked over to me in all his naked glory. "Sit up." his voice was thick and rough.

Edward eased himself into the steaming water and sat behind me. I pulled the plug to let some of the water out, so it didn't slosh out. Edward ran his hands over my back as I waited for the water to get to the right level.

"That feels so good." I told him, pushing the plug back into the drain. Edward didn't respond to me. Instead he ran his hands along my arms then across my stomach.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked him.

"There's so much that happened today." he chuckled quietly. "But, there are two things that stand out above the rest."

"Oh? What's that?" I asked, allowing my own hands to stroke his legs.

"What you told me about Jake. You two have been through a lot together. The impact of it hit me today. I see him differently, somehow. Like I have more respect for him, or like him more than I already did." Edward sighed.

"Yeah, we have been through a lot." I agreed. "So, when he refers to me as 'slut' or 'bitch', you don't have to defend me. I love that you did, but there is no malice in his words."

"I get that now." Edward said softly.

"It makes me very happy that you and Jake get along. It would kill me to have to choose between you."

"You don't have to worry about that, Bella. I'd never make you choose." Edward leaned his head down and kissed my neck. "It's basically a moot point, though, so let's not talk about that."

I hummed in agreement. I closed my eyes as I laid against his chest. "What was the other thing?" I asked nervously. I knew what it was. My declaration.

I listened to the water drip-dropping from my hand and heard Edward sigh.

"Earlier, you uh... you said something. I was wondering what you meant by it." I felt his fingers tracing the skin on my shoulder.

"I said a lot of things today. You'll have to be more specific."

Internally, I smiled. _Make him work for it, Bella._

"_Specifically_," he softly laughed, "you said that you loved me." Edward finished quietly, almost reverently.

"I did say that," I agreed.

"Yes. What exactly did you mean?" he asked so sweetly. I had to put him out of his misery, and to be honest, coy wasn't my thing. I could only sustain it for so long.

I turned in his arms and faced him. Looking deeply into his eyes, I gave him what he was looking for.

"I love you." I said simply. "I can not envision my life without you."

Edward kissed me so passionately, his lips telling me what his voice wasn't ready to say. I knew this, and I could continue to be patient with him.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading! What did you think? Kind of a fluff chapter, but the 'rents needed to meet. I think Edward has made a lot of progress and is almost where he needs to be! **

**On my TBR: Letters to Coporal Masen (wip) by solostintwilight**

** The Lonely Rain (wip) by MrsRobward**

** Oh Captain, My Captain (C) by Kim Ginsberg**

** The Demon in my Dreams (wip) by littlecat358**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I have to thank you all for favoriting and alerting, commenting...such a wonderful response. Thank you all. I'm so glad you're enjoying this. **

**Euphoria9 & TheQueenWriter-these two ladies are first and foremost, my friends. I'd rather not label what they do, because they do a little bit of everything. Read, suggest, tell me to shut the fuck up... whatever I need, they are there for me. My work would be less than what it is, without them. Love you hard, ladies!**

**SM owns Twilight and its characters**

**see you at the bottom, enjoy!**

* * *

Walk

Chapter 13

EPOV

James was arriving in a few short hours and I still needed to figure out where everyone was going to stay. Given what I knew about his daughter, I assumed that they would stay in the same room, but I really had no idea.

"Bella?" I spoke softly, as she wasn't quite fully awake yet.

"Hmm?" she responded sleepily.

"James will be here with his daughter today, and my parents are planning on staying for a few days." I paused, hoping my next question wasn't going to be too forward. "Would you mind if I stayed here? There isn't room for everyone at my place."

Bella's eyes were closed, but a big smile spread across her face. "You'll have to sleep on the couch." I could see her fighting a laugh even before all the words were out of her mouth.

I rolled over on top of her, taking her hands in mine and stretching them above her head.

"Oh yeah?" I asked, thrusting my naked body against her. Bella moaned and wrapped her legs around me. "Maybe I'll just keep you here like this, naked and satisfied. Then you won't have any choice."

Bella practically whimpered as I spoke to her. "I don't have a choice where you're concerned, Edward. I'd be perfectly happy if you never left." Her eyes were watery and our playfulness turned into something more intense.

I kissed her slowly, filling it with everything she was making me feel. I lifted my hips and entered her warm wetness, savoring the way she molded around me.

We kept our eyes locked on each other as we made love. I made some discoveries as I stared into her beautiful brown eyes. This woman was made for me, my match; my mate. She was just as much mine as I was hers.

Everything before her seemed as if it was someone else's life, not mine. The pain and hurt was still there, but a distant memory now. The only thing that mattered was Bella in the here and now.

"God, you're so beautiful." I murmured against Bella's lips. "I feel like I can't get enough of you."

Bella's eyes got teary again and she kissed me with such passion. I couldn't get close enough; I wanted to melt into her.

Bending one of her legs, I put her knee against my shoulder and increased my pace. She felt incredible and her soft moans hit me somewhere deep inside.

"Edward...yesss," she said softly. I felt her need as she tightened around me. I was very close myself.

I slipped a finger between us and began gently rubbing her clit. Bella rewarded me with stronger, more emphatic moans falling from her lips. Bella's head was pushed back into the pillow and I saw her struggling to keep her eyes on me.

"Let go, baby. I know you want to cum for me. Cum all over my cock, Bella." I panted, getting closer to my own release. I used more pressure on her clit and drove into her harder.

Bella cried out as she came, clamping down around my cock so hard that I tensed and erupted deep inside her. I fell against her body, trying to hold most of my weight off of her. We lay there, both sweaty and panting. I pushed her hair off her forehead and left a lingering, wet kiss there.

"That was amazing, Edward. It just seems to keep getting better." she chuckled.

"I agree." I kissed her lips and rolled off of her, enjoying the way our skin pulled gently as it peeled apart.

"So, to answer you...yes, stay here with me and let the guests have your place."

I didn't want to have to face my parents on the way to my own bathroom, so to avoid that awkwardness, Bella and I showered together. The quickie we had with Bella pressed against the wall convinced me that we'd be doing this more often.

With a kiss and a mug of coffee, Bella sent me out the door. I fed the horses and contemplated which horse here had the calmest demeanor.

Besides Zeus, there was a mare named Bailey and two geldings named Comet and Hazard. Bess was the other mare, but she was older and could be temperamental. Bella's Gidget was the last horse in the paddock, and she had already granted me permission to use her. I had sent out letters to the owners of Bailey and the two geldings. Besides Gidget, they were the only ones suitable to be used in the program.

I dug a few apples from a bag sitting against the stalls. Each horse heard the rustle of the bag and stuck their noses over the gates of their stalls.

"I wondered if I'd find you out here."

I turned to see my father walking towards me. He took a couple of apples himself and held one out to the appaloosa.

"That's Bella's horse, Gidget."

"She's just as beautiful as her owner." he mused.

"She is." I smiled. Bella's face was always in the forefront of my mind these days.

"Bella seems like quite a young lady." That was my father's attempt at subtlety.

"Please don't tell me that you take issue with that?" I asked, not beating around the bush.

"No, no. Not at all. Bella strikes me as a very grounded individual. I'm just living vicariously." he chuckled. "I love your mother very much, so don't take that the wrong way." he countered. "I just admire you a little more, is all."

I had to laugh at him. My dad was a writer of children's books_ and _a horn dog.

"I never had a problem with her age, just mine." I admitted.

"Edward," dad sighed. "I know that Kate said some things to you to make you feel that way, but you have to understand that she was using anything to get to you to make her point, useless as that was. You are still young enough to have a family and enjoy them for a very long time."

"I'm beginning to realize that, Dad."

"That girl loves you." he said quietly, stroking Gidget's nose. "Let go of all this nonsense with Kate and grab Bella with both hands."

"She told me that yesterday."

"Did you respond accordingly?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest.

"Not really." I had responded, just not with words. I hoped my actions made her feel what I couldn't say yet.

"What's holding you back, Edward?" he asked. "I can see it in your eyes when you look at Bella, or even talk about her. You don't want to fuck around and lose her." he warned.

"I'm not sure. Fear of putting myself out there, I suppose. Opening myself to being hurt." I thought about it for a minute.

Bella has not once given me a reason to doubt her. She's been patient and loving and completely supportive of me.

I looked at my dad whose face held a knowing look. His lips were twisted into a smirk and when he saw something in my own face, he started laughing quietly.

"You need to tell her. Make her yours, Edward and hold on tight." Dad advised.

My father had been around Bella for less than 24 hours and already knew all this, what the fuck was _my_ problem?

_Oh yeah. I was a cynical douchebag._

My father wandered back out to see what my mother was up to and I quickly finished in the barn. All of a sudden I wanted to see Bella and tell her that I loved her.

I walked out of the barn intending to go straight to Bella, when a car pulled into the driveway, stopping next to my house.

James had arrived. _Dammit. _I made my way over to the driver's side of the car and waited for him to emerge. He was turned in the seat speaking to his daughter, who looked frightened.

"Edward." James smiled as he opened the car door.

"Hello, James. It's good to see you again." I shook his hand. He had lost the sling since the last time I'd seen him.

James opened the rear door and coaxed Katrina out. She was a beautiful girl. Katrina's big blue eyes still held some fear, but I saw curiosity, as well. She had a red ribbon in her wavy blonde hair. The light breeze blew it across her face and her giggle was enchanting.

"Can you say hello to Edward?" James asked her. She looked up at me and smiled shyly.

"Hello, Katrina. It's very nice to meet you." I told her.

"Hello." she said quietly. Katrina fidgeted with the hem of her dress as she spoke.

"My parents stopped in for a visit and are staying with me for a few days." I told James. "Is it alright if you two bunk together?"

"Not a problem. Katrina would have stayed with me anyway." he smiled.

James still had his cane, but I noticed that he didn't rely on it as much. I grabbed their bags and headed towards the house.

"Mom and Dad are upstairs, this is your room." I told them as we came to a stop outside the spare room. "Make yourselves at home and help yourselves to anything in the kitchen."

"Thank you." James smiled. "Where will you be?" he asked in a hushed tone. He knew that I only had the two rooms.

"I'll be staying with Bella." I smiled. "Why don't you two take some time to get settled, then we can get started?"

"Sounds good." James ushered Katrina into the bedroom.

"Did you have lunch?" I asked.

"We stopped on our way from the airport, thank you."

"Okay. I'll meet you at the barn in say," I looked at my watch, "an hour?" James nodded. "In the meantime, I'll be up at Bella's if you need anything."

_Finally!_ I thought to myself. I'm going to march in there and tell Bella how I feel. No more being afraid, that would only let Kate win. And THAT was not going to happen.

I gave a cursory knock on the door and stepped into the utility room that led to Bella's kitchen. I heard my mother's voice and instantly cringed. Not about my mother, but the timing.

"Oh Edward, I'm so glad to see you. I've been waiting to show you something." My mother's smile was taking up her whole face.

"Then why aren't you at my house?" I thought that was a pretty good assumption that she'd look for me there first.

"Bella and I are getting to know each other better. Besides, I knew you'd eventually end up here, sooner rather than later." she winked at me.

I moved next to Bella and wrapped my arm around her, kissing the top of her head. She smiled up at me, putting her own arms around me and squeezing.

"I'm going to give you some privacy." Bella said, making a move to leave. I held tight and looked at my mother.

"What is this about?" I questioned.

"Well," my mother hesitated, "it's about Kate. I haven't said anything. Bella insisted that you hear about it first."

"You can stay." I looked down at her big brown eyes. "I wish you would, actually."

Bella rewarded me with a smile and nodded. We moved to the table where mom was clicking away on her laptop. She took a deep breath and turned the computer to face us.

**Santa Fe Headlines**

**Mayor Banner caught on film**

**Mayor Banner of Santa Fe was caught in the act with advertising agent Katherine (Kate) Cullen.**

Katherine Cullen, known as Kate to her co-workers, was caught in a very compromising position with the Mayor of Santa Fe, Thomas Banner. Mrs. Cullen is estranged from her husband Edward Cullen, now of Phoenix, AZ. As you can see in the picture, (below) Mrs. Cullen was photographed in the mayor's lap wearing only thigh high stockings and black stiletto heels. It is rumored that she was attempting to influence the Mayor to give her company the following year's account for the city's ad campaign. Kate Cullen has been fired over her actions. We've had no word from the Mayor's office or Mrs. Banner. The public outcry over this scandal has people demanding a recall of Mayor Banner.

"Oh my god." Bella muttered.

I scrolled down to look at the picture and my jaw hit the table. I knew those black stilettos. They were the ones I had never seen before I knocked them on the floor all those months ago.

I didn't know what to say. Part of me felt like I needed to say something to explain her actions but the other part of me wanted to dance around the kitchen.

"Karma is a bitch." I said, looking up at Bella with a small smile.

I almost felt vindicated and finally free from the whole thing. Kate had shown her true colors and while it was a truly sad situation, I couldn't find any sympathy for her.

I think that Bella wondered if she should laugh or not. My mother didn't think twice. She began laughing and by the time Bella joined her, they both had tears streaming down their faces.

"Oh Edward. Will you ever forgive me for getting you two together?" My mom asked solemnly.

"Mom," I got up and knelt before her, "you didn't make me do anything. All you did was introduce us." I kissed her cheek. "There is nothing to forgive."

BPOV

If I didn't already think that Kate Cullen was a world class bitch, I certainly did now. Bitch might be too soft of a term for her. Whore, slut... either of those would be fitting. After destroying Edward, she destroyed the mayor and herself. She'd be better off changing her name and moving to a new city.

Poor Edward. He looked like he was saddened and elated at the same time after he read the article. I really couldn't imagine what he was feeling.

"On a completely different note, James and his daughter, Katrina, are here. I left them to unpack and whatnot." he said, sitting next to me again.

"Would you like me to tag along with you?" I asked. "I can help keep Katrina occupied while you two get to work." I offered.

"Oh, I'd love to come with you, Bella." Esme said with a warm smile. This woman was quickly growing on me.

We both looked to Edward for approval.

"That sounds terrific, actually. You should know," he turned to his mom, "Katrina has been traumatized."

Edward told his mother about the car accident that James and Katrina were in, stressing the fact that she was terrified just walking around now. Esme left to tell Carlisle what her plans were.

When his mother was out the door, he sighed and rested his forehead on my shoulder.

"Are you okay?" I asked, scratching my fingers along his scalp.

"I'm just worried about Katrina. The poor thing couldn't even look at me."

If I needed another reason to love this man, that was it.

"Let your mom and I see what we can do, Edward. Who knows, maybe one of us can reach her?" I shrugged.

Edward lifted his head, only inches from my face. He looked so serious; it made my heart speed up.

"What?" I whispered, stroking the side of his face. The stubble scratched my palm in an enjoyable way. Was he going to say something about Kate?

"I love you, Bella." his eyes searched mine. "I know it's not the most appropriate time. I'm sorry I couldn't say it before."

I hugged him to me in a tight embrace, burying my face in his neck. That was not at all what I was expecting.

"No sorries, Edward." I kissed his neck. "I wanted you to mean it when you said it, all on your own." I paused, relishing his scent and the feel of him in my arms and against my body. "I love you, too."

Edward pulled back and held my face in his strong hands. He smiled at me then placed a blazing kiss on my lips. Always wanting more, I twisted my head to deepen our kiss. Edward was my new favorite taste, and his tongue against mine did not disappoint.

Edward broke away from me, still holding my face and leaning his forehead against mine.

"I'm so glad I met you, Bella." he said reverently.

"Me too, baby." I agreed, kissing the corner of his mouth. I noticed James and Katrina walk by the side window. "Let's go." I said, standing and taking Edward's hand in mine.

After we met up with James in the barn, everything went into high speed with the construction and setting up of equipment. We left Edward and James to their work and took Katrina on a tour of the grounds and my house.

Esme and I desperately tried to engage her in conversation, but only got a few words at a time from her. I showed Katrina some of Jake's pieces in the attic. She especially liked the sculpture of a whimsical fish.

When we came back downstairs, I made her a snack of cut up apples with some chunks of cheese and a glass of milk. Carlisle joined us, appearing shortly after a fresh pot of coffee finished brewing.

He sat with us at the table and produced a couple of books from a satchel he had brought with him. I watched Kat's eyes brighten when she saw them. All our coaxing and cajoling didn't hold a candle to Sammy the Squirrel.

I looked at Esme. She had tears in her eyes and a look of great pride on her face. Carlisle read both books to Katrina, and they discussed the stories along the way.

He then brought out a mockup of a new book. He explained that after hearing about his son's project here at the farm, it inspired him to write a new book.

Penny the Penguin had a broken flipper and needed rehabilitation in order to use it again to swim through the water. Carlisle must have heard what happened to Katrina and her father, because he tailored the story to something that was similar, for her to connect with it. He said that after her flipper was healed, Penny was afraid, and didn't want to get back in the water.

Something broke free and the little girl smiled and asked questions. Carlisle was elated and they talked for almost an hour. She was by no means healed, but she had opened up and I couldn't wait to tell Edward about it.

Esme helped me to start a dinner that would feed everyone, while Carlisle and Kat went out to see what her dad and Edward were up to.

"I haven't seen Edward this happy in a very long time, Bella. I wanted you to know that. And to clarify, he was never this happy with that wretched Kate." Esme nearly spat her name when she spoke it.

"Edward makes me very happy, as well." I smiled.

Esme chopped onions and jalapenos for the enchiladas while I stirred the chicken.

"I hope you've forgiven me for any rudeness I may have shown you, I really did not mean to."

"Esme, I already told you that everything is fine." I smiled and gave her a quick hug around her shoulders.

"I'd like to explain a little, if I may."

"Of course. Whatever makes you feel better." I didn't want her to think she owed me anything or that I felt like it was my business how she acted around her only child.

"I had two miscarriages before I became pregnant with Edward, and one after. We weren't able to have any more children and that made Edward very special in my heart. I never spoiled him," she paused then laughed, "maybe a little." she conceded. "But I only ever wanted the best for him. And I did everything in my power to make sure that he got the best of everything."

"Of course you did. I hope that every mother feels that way." I added the contents from her cutting board to the simmering chicken, and then poured us each a fresh cup of coffee.

"I _did_ push Kate at Edward, regardless of what he says." Esme's voice quieted to just above a whisper. "If I had only known..." she trailed off, her breath hitching in her throat. I pushed off the counter and hugged her to me. The woman was blaming herself for what Kate did.

"You may have encouraged them to get together, but you are in no way responsible for what Kate did. That is all on her." I said sternly. "And like Edward said, you didn't make him marry her. No one knew what she was capable of, probably not even Kate."

"Bella, you are an incredible individual." Esme smiled through her tears. "I'm so glad you and Edward have each other." she held me tightly as she regained her composure.

Carlisle and Katrina came back in and helped put the extra leaf in the table so we could all sit together. James and Edward joined us as the food hit the table and we had a very enjoyable dinner. Katrina told her father all about Penny the Penguin, albeit in a very quiet voice. The look of pride and thankfulness shone brightly on his face.

The next few days were going to be busy. My mom was coming over to kidnap Esme tomorrow and Emmett was coming back with half a crew, as they had finished one of their jobs early.

I planned on helping out as much as I could and hated the thought of going back to work in just a few short days.

Edward and I settled into the tub, which was fast becoming one of my favorite times of the day. We relaxed and talked about everything the other one had missed.

"You should have seen her, Edward. It was like a light switch got flipped on, she lit up from the inside." I told him.

"I've seen that before." he said knowingly.

Of course he has. This was his profession, rehabilitating kids. I'm sure that a lot of them carried some emotional scars from whatever incident had put them in his care.

"It's incredible to be there to see it, isn't it?" he asked.

Edward soaped up the wash cloth and began washing my back. Being in the warm, sudsy water with him was divine; his strong arms and legs surrounding me. I felt completely safe with him and though some may think me crazy to be feeling this way so soon, I didn't want him to go back to his own house.

"I don't want to move." Edward sighed. "This feels fantastic."

I peeked over my shoulder at him. Edward had his head back and his eyes closed. I picked up his hand and kissed it. Rather than placing it back on the side of the tub, he laid it across my chest and held me there.

I could definitely get used to this every night. We soaked in the tub in a comfortable silence until Edward sighed heavily and tapped my thigh.

"We have to get out."

I groaned, but moved to get up anyway. "I know." I whined. He kissed me on the back, just below my neck as we stood in the water, and then patted my ass for good measure.

"I was just thinking that I could get used to doing this more often." he said.

"No way!" I laughed. "I thought the very same thing." I stepped over the edge of the tub, leaning at the same time to grab a towel. My head started spinning a little and I grabbed onto Edward.

"Whoa," he steadied me, "you okay?" his voice full of concern.

"Yes." I said after a moment. "Just got a little dizzy. I must be more tired than I thought."

The light-headedness made my stomach roll, so I made sure not to move too quickly as we dried off.

Edward waited for a moment to make sure that I was okay, then went into the bedroom. I followed shortly after and pulling on a t-shirt and a pair of boy shorts. I snuggled into Edward's side, breathing him in deep. He sighed and kissed my hair, whispering that he loved me. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep. My stomach had settled down and I was able to sleep very well.

The next few days were all long and filled with bustling construction workers. The sounds of hammering and electric saws became common. My driveway was congested with work trucks and saw horses.

Edward's house was still filled with guests but I didn't mind one bit. His parents were wonderful and I got to spend a lot of time with Katrina. At one point, Tanya had stopped by to see how things were going. I was polite, but a trifle miffed at her presence seeing that the last time I saw her, she had her hands all over Edward.

He had assured me that there were no sparks whatsoever between them and when I saw her interest piqued by James, I felt much more at ease around her. She didn't stay long, but said she would be back to help however she could.

My mother arrived way too early Saturday morning to collect Esme for another fun filled day of whatever it was they were doing. They barely took the time to say hello before they took off.

"I'll take care of the morning feed; you just do what you need to." I told Edward as he scrambled some eggs.

"James and I are going to take care of that portion of fence that needs to be repaired before Emmett gets here."

"Thank you." I told him as he set a plate of eggs and toast in front of me.

"Enjoy them, it's about all I can make from scratch." he grinned.

We left the house and after a really nice kiss, went off in different directions. I fed everyone and opened the gate to the coral. One of the stalls couldn't wait for the afternoon to get mucked out by Mike, so I took twenty minutes to clean it out.

I had the back door open and was about to walk in when I heard my name being spoken with a French accent. I rolled my eyes and turned around, standing in the open doorway.

"Laurent. I didn't know you were coming by." I said coolly.

"I thought I could come and go as I wished, dear Bella." he said over sweetly. It made my skin crawl.

"You can. It's just that there is a lot going on right now." I explained.

He looked over my messy appearance and tskd me. "You're too pretty to have to do manual labor, Bella. What have you been doing?"

"Taking care of my farm, Laurent. What else?" I laughed. Was this guy for real? He never cared before whether or not I was a sweaty mess.

He took a step towards me and I got an uneasy feeling. The goose bumps that had broken out on my arms spread to my entire body.

_What the hell?_

Laurent has always been an ass, but I've never felt threatened by him until now. He took another step toward me and I had to fight to keep my feet planted in the doorway.

"I would treat you like a queen, Bella. All you have to do is give me a chance." he was now close enough to reach out his hand and brush some hair from my face. I cringed and jerked my head away.

"Laurent, have you been drinking? What the hell are you doing?" I asked, attempting to put the door between us.

"I'm only drunk on you sweet Bella."

I was able to finally close the door, putting a barrier between us. I felt a sense of relief, even if it was only an old screen door.

"You are fucking delusional. You need to leave." I took another step away from the door, out of his line of sight and leaned against the washer.

I took a couple of deep breaths to compose myself, bowing my head and closing my eyes. The squeak of the screen door made my head snap up and I saw Laurent standing right in front of me.

"Get out of here!" I yelled at him and moved quickly into the kitchen.

"Bella, Bella." he sighed dramatically. "Why do you act in such a way? You are so much better than this."

He followed me into the kitchen. The pan the Edward cooked the eggs in was still sitting on the stove. I decided that would be my best bet for a weapon. Before I got a chance to get close enough to grab it, Laurent had me pressed against the counter.

"Bella, you know that you feel as strongly for me as I do you. Stop fighting me." His calm tone and demeanor was freaking me out almost as much as his actions.

I stretched a hand out to try to reach the frying pan; Laurent caught it. The little fucker was stronger than I gave him credit for.

He grabbed my face roughly and pressed his lips to mine. I almost gagged but my survival instincts kicked into overdrive. I brought my knee up hard and caught him squarely in the nuts. He howled and stumbled backwards.

I went for my phone to call Edward, it was the only thing on my mind.

_Call Edward. _

_Get Edward here._

Laurent lunged at me, knocking the phone from my hand. It skittered across the floor and he came at me again. All I saw were his crazy eyes and puckered lips. I cocked my hand back and slapped him as hard as I could.

"YOU BITCH!" he bellowed. Laurent shoved me hard and I lost my footing. That was the last thing I remembered.

* * *

**A/N: OMG! Did I really just do that? Yes. Yes I did. And that is about the extent of the angst in this story, so no one freak out on me. It won't get worse than this. Trust, folks ;) You know the drill, let me know what you think about anything you've read here. Esme? Some of you weren't too sure about her. Carlisle? He was awesome with Katrina. The lemon? Not a big one, but still citrusy! Oh, Tanya made a quick appearance. Any thoughts on her? **

**Ok, down to business. The only thing I am reading right now is a fic called "Foul Territory" by rinabina Quite the delicious baseballward.**

**The Emerging Swan Awards is open for voting. My lovely and talented friend, TheQueenWriter, has Bird Girl in the running for Best Humor-no, I did not nominate her. Someone beat me to it! There are lots of great fics there and many categories. Go vote-support your favorite authors! . **


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I haven't gotten to everyone's reviews from last week, but I am working on it. I didn't want you to have to wait a whole week for this chapter.**

**SM owns Twilight and its characters. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Walk

Chapter 14

EPOV

I was surprised that I heard my phone ring. I was running the saw and had just stopped for Emmett to take a measurement and I heard it ring.

Pulling it from my pocket, I smiled seeing Bella's name flashing.

"Hey baby." I answered.

Nothing.

"Bella?"

A strange feeling started to swirl around in my stomach and I began to move. We were behind the barn, so I took off running with the phone still to my ear. I heard someone else behind me but my focus was Bella.

I came around the corner and didn't see her. I ran into the barn.

"Fuck!" I yelled into the empty barn. "BELLA?" I yelled, turning back to the yard.

Two things happened simultaneously. I saw that creepy little fucker's truck in the drive and then the man himself, coming out of Bella's house.

I slammed into him, grabbing him by the stupid fucking jacket that he was wearing in 90 degree heat.

"Where is Bella?!" I demanded, shaking him by his lapels.

"I-I, uh..." he stammered. One side of his face had a hand print on it. A Bella sized hand print.

"What did you do?!" I yelled in his face.

Emmett ran past me and into Bella's house. I shoved Laurent hard enough for him to land on his ass and told the work crew that followed us to keep him there.

I got inside and saw Emmett leaning down on the kitchen floor. When my line of sight cleared his massive shoulders, I saw Bella lying on the floor. There was blood on her face.

I pushed Emmett out of the way and knelt down next to her. I checked her vitals and saw that she was breathing fine, but she was out cold.

"Call an ambulance!" I barked at Emmett.

I carefully checked over her body, paying special attention to her neck. Grabbing the towel from the oven door handle, I dabbed at the blood on her forehead and found the point of impact. I looked closely to the surrounding area and noticed some blood on the corner of the stove.

She had hit her head.

"They're on their way, Edward. Here," Emmett shoved the phone at me. "they want to talk to you."

I told the operator what I could and waited for further instructions.

"Make sure you don't move her, Sir. There may be spinal injuries." I pulled the phone back and gave the operator a dirty look.

_Like that would help. There was no way for him to know that _this_ was my profession._

"I'm a Doctor of Rehabilitation. I know better than to move her." I tried to be polite, but was sure it didn't come out that way.

The ambulance showed up and the EMTs took over. I stood up and noticed that Emmett was no longer with me. I heard his voice though. I followed it out the back door.

He had Laurent lifted off the ground and was yelling at him to tell what he had done.

Emmett saw me coming and dropped him with a smile. He took a step back and told one of his crew to call the police.

I didn't wait for an explanation. To me, it was clear what had happened.

"You like to shove women around, do you?" I spat at him. "Let's see what you can do with a man."

I gave Laurent a shove that made him stumble and fall to his knees. He began sputtering immediately.

"I-I didn't mean it." The fear in his eyes did not sway me as he spoke.

"You were warned already. Bella told you to back off." Laurent got to his feet. "And _I_ warned you, too."

"Is Bella alright?" he asked feebly as he took a step away from me.

"I don't know, but you'd better hope and pray that she is." The men there, my father and James now included, stood in a circle around us. One of them pushed Laurent back to the center.

"She wouldn't listen to reason, she...," I had heard enough. I pulled back and popped him right in his fat mouth.

His hands went to his face and when he pulled them away, they were covered in blood.

Laurent began muttering 'please' and 'no'.

"Tell me what you did!" I demanded.

"I didn't mean to." he said again as he got to his feet.

My fist went to his gut, knocking all the air out of him, and he fell once more to his knees.

"I'm going to give you one more chance to tell me what you did." My voice was deep and menacing. Laurent looked up at me, and I believe I saw some understanding flicker in his eyes.

"I tried to kiss her." he panted, still trying to catch his breath. "I've tried to get her to go out with me, to see me differently than just a client."

"And all the times she told you 'No'? You just didn't give a fuck, did you?"

"I, uh, I tried to kiss her and she slapped me. That's when I pushed her." he couldn't meet my eyes when he spoke.

I was done with this sorry excuse of a human being and let him have it. My fist made a satisfying crunch when it hit Laurent's jaw. He fell like a house of cards, crumpled up on the ground and out like a light.

I moved to go after him again and felt two sets of strong arms holding me back. My father's voice wormed its way in and made me pause.

"Edward, enough." He stood in front of me, making me look him in the eye. "The police just pulled in. They'll take care of him. Bella needs you now."

The tension left my body and I looked towards the house. The EMTs were wheeling Bella out and towards the ambulance.

"Let me go, I need to go with her." The arms that held me back dropped and my feet started moving towards Bella.

"Go. I'll handle the cops." Emmett called out.

"Thanks, man." I turned and gave him a grateful smile.

"If you're going with, let's go." the ambulance attendant said. "Who are you?"

"Edward Cullen. I'm Bella's boyfriend." I sat next to her and held her hand.

"Do you know what happened?" the man asked.

"As near as I can tell, that short little fucker pushed her, and I believe she hit her head on the stove."

"Does she have any health problems we should know about?" he continued.

"She has an old spinal injury. I don't know the extent of it, though. I should call her parents."

I had no idea of how to get in touch with Renee or Charlie. Then it hit me, Mom is with Renee right now. I pulled my phone out and called my mother.

After giving a frantic Renee the information that I had, I hung up and leaned my head down to Bella's ear.

"Bella?" I said softly. "Baby, wake up."

By the time we got to the hospital, Bella had regained consciousness, but was extremely groggy. She didn't say anything but my name a few times.

The staff took over as soon as she was wheeled inside, and I was pushed out of the way. I heard doctors order blood work ups and x-rays. There was a nurse at each of Bella's arms, one inserting an IV and the other drawing blood. I heard loud voices and turned to see Renee and my mother.

"Where is she? What happened?" Renee asked with a shaky voice and tears in her eyes.

I filled her in on everything that I knew and we sat down to wait. My father and Emmett showed up before anyone came out to tell me what was going on.

The third time I approached the desk, I was asked to sit back down and they would let me know when they had heard anything.

Charlie arrived, and without saying a thing to anyone else, he pointed at me. "You. Outside."

I rose from my seat and followed him.

"What in the hell happened, Edward?" he asked as soon as we cleared the door.

"Laurent told me that he tried to kiss her, and that when she slapped him, he pushed her. I think that she hit her head on the stove. When I found Bella, she was out cold."

"Fucking asshole." Charlie muttered under his breath. "I've heard her mention this guy. Have you guys had any trouble with him before?"

I told Charlie about the last, and only, confrontation that I had witnessed, also telling him what I knew from Bella.

"And where is he now?" he asked.

"My dad said that he was arrested."

Charlie sighed deeply, running his hands over his face. He looked up at me.

"Did you take care of him?"

I knew what Bella's father was asking me.

"Sure as fuck did." I smiled grimly.

"Good man, Edward." Charlie patted me on the back then walked back inside to be with his wife.

When I got back into the waiting room, I stood, leaning my head against the wall. Emmett called Alice and Jasper, and was filling them in over the phone as they drove here.

"Mr. and Mrs. Swan?" A nurse called out, motioning them to the front desk. They spoke for a few minutes, Charlie and Renee's heads nodding while the nurse filled them in. All three of them then looked at me.

"Mr. Cullen? Bella would like to see you." The nurse said.

I looked at Bella's parents, who were sitting back down. I wasn't going to argue, but I figured Bella's parents would be allowed to go back before me. They both looked at me. Charlie pointed at the door while Renee mouthed 'It's okay.' I pushed off the wall and followed the nurse back.

BPOV

I woke to hushed sounds and a smell that was stinging my nose. As the fog began to lift, I realized that I was in the hospital. I tried to move and felt the world tilt. I gave up and located the buzzer to call the nurse.

A very tall, stern looking woman pulled my curtain back. When she smiled at me all the severity in her face went away.

"You're awake." she patted my leg gently. "I'm going to let your doctor know."

She came right back, telling me that her name was Jessica. She let me sip some water and helped me adjust the bed so I was more comfortable.

Jessica told me that she was going out to tell my parents that I was awake and that they could come back after the doctor spoke with me. I nodded slightly, but any movement of my head brought on a wave of pain mixed with nausea. I wanted to just close my eyes and sleep, but I also wanted to be filled in on what was going on.

I looked around my curtained cubicle as bits and pieces-flashes really, of memories made a quick run through my mind's eye. I remember Laurent following me inside my house. He had grabbed onto my arms, forcing his lips against mine.

I do remember kneeing him in the balls and slapping him. My next memory is wispy and dreamlike. It was very bright and Edward looked as if he were awash in light. I heard his voice, more like the cadence and timbre, rather that the words he spoke.

The curtain was whipped aside, the metal rings on the rod making a god-awful noise that made my head pound and my eyes close.

"Yes, that may last for a few more hours."

I opened my eyes and saw a short, blonde woman smiling warmly at me.

"I'm Doctor Richards." she introduced herself.

"Hi." I smiled weakly.

She began to poke and prod my scalp, though I'm sure the sensation was amplified by the throbbing bump on my head.

"Ms. Swan," she started. "You have a concussion, and we're going to keep you overnight to keep an eye on you."

I was in no state to argue and gave her a slight nod.

"You're very lucky. That bump could have been a lot worse. It looks as though you hit a fairly sharp surface. Do you remember what it was?"

As soon as the doctor said that, I knew exactly what I had hit.

"My stove." I told her and she nodded.

"An inch back and we would have had an entirely different situation here. As I said, you're very lucky." she smiled again and sat on the edge of the bed near the corner.

"Bella, are you taking any form of birth control?"

"Yes, I'm on a low dose pill."

"When we ran your blood work, it came back positive for pregnancy. I'm going to assume that you were not aware of your condition due to the fact that it is very early in your pregnancy. Your HCG level was just high enough to determine a positive result."

_What?!_

"Umm, no. I had no idea."

She reached into her pocket and brought out a handful of pamphlets. "Here is some information you will need to know, explaining all your options."

"Options?" I said incredulously. "There's only one option."

"Well, if you decide that you want to terminate your pregnancy," she pointed at the stack I held in my hands, "there is information in there, as well." The doctor stood up. "You'll be taken to your room shortly.

"Terminate? No." I shook my head and immediately regretted the movement. I closed my eyes for a moment. "I'm shocked to learn that I'm pregnant, but there is no way in hell that I would terminate my baby." I flipped through the pamphlets and handed back any that were about termination. Edward would be crushed if he saw them.

Dr. Richards scribbled on my chart, and then looked up at me when she was done.

"Could you send my nurse back here before she brings anyone to see me?"

"Sure Bella. I want you to stay down for a while, and no walking without assistance."

"Not a problem."

I closed my eyes until Jessica came back. I opened them again when I heard her slide the curtain back.

"Could you please let my boyfriend come back first?" I asked, then added quickly, "Alone."

I waited and thought about nothing except how I would tell Edward that he was going to be a father. Hell, I could barely get my head around the fact that I was going to be a mother.

I couldn't deal with looking at the literature the doctor had given me, so I stuffed it under my leg and covered it all with the sheet.

My first thought was that he'd be happy about this, but then the doubt started creeping in. It hadn't been very long since we declared our love for each other. He wasn't even legally divorced yet, for christ's sake!

Before I could think any longer about it, he was here. He tentatively peeked past the curtain and smiled so sweetly when our eyes met. Edward quickly made it to my bedside and held my hand between both of his.

"Hi." I smiled.

Edward leaned down and placed a lingering kiss on my forehead, far away from the injured area. "I'm so glad you're okay." he breathed. "You are okay, right?" he pulled back and looked at me nervously.

"Yeah. I'll be fine. They want to keep me overnight to keep an eye on me."

"Good. I don't want to take any chances." Edward sat on the edge of my bed, just staring at me.

"Do you remember any of what happened?" he asked after a moment.

"Laurent." I sighed.

"He's been arrested and confessed to assault charges."

"Wow." That was another thing I was having a hard time processing. I knew that he wasn't a pleasant man, but assaulting me? I never would have thought that.

"Bella, did he do anything besides push you?" Edward asked quietly.

Scrunching my eyebrows didn't feel any better than shaking my head. "He tried to kiss me." I said. "Well, he actually did kiss me until I kneed his balls."

"That's my girl." Edward smiled and lifted my hand to his lips.

"Uh...," I started. I couldn't look at Edward. Part of me felt elated and another felt like I was going to throw up.

_Get a grip!_ I chided myself.

Regardless of Edward, I would be keeping this baby. So, what did that leave? He either accepts it or he doesn't, right? Time to pull on my big girl panties and do this right.

"Edward," I looked at him as levelly as I could. "I have to tell you something."

"Bella?" he began to look worried. I needed to just say it.

"I'm pregnant."

Edward stared at me like I had another head growing out of my neck.

"Edward? Did you hear me?" I squeezed his hand.

"How?" he asked. "I mean, I know _how_." he paused. I could see that he needed a minute for his own processing. "Oh my god." he whispered. He seemed to fall off the bed and he was on his knees, stroking my belly over the sheet.

He looked up at me with tears in his eyes, and nothing but love shone through them.

"Really?" he asked quietly.

"Yes." I nodded gently, stroking his hair. "The doctor just told me."

He peeled back the sheet and placed a kiss just below my belly button, hugging my body to him.

Now I had tears in _my_ eyes. Whatever I had done to deserve this man, I don't know; but I planned on keeping him.

"I need to move in with you. Where will we put the nursery?" He stood up and started to pace.

"Edward, it's very early. I'm barely pregnant, if there is such a thing. We have lots of time." I held my hand out to him. "Right now I just want to rest." I scooted myself over as best as I could to make some room for him. "Lie here with me for a while?"

I snuggled in next to Edward. He was my favorite smell; soap and all man. He held me securely but gently and I dozed off lying against his shoulder.

Way too soon, I was jostled awake as Edward climbed off the bed.

"Baby, they're going to take you to your room now." Edward's hand ghosted over my forehead before he kissed me there. "I'll see you soon."

I was placed in a room that thankfully was empty of any other patients. I got the window side, but asked for the shades to be turned. I couldn't handle the sunlight yet.

I waited patiently while the nurses hooked up new IV's and got me settled. I heard voices in the hall and knew that my mom was out there.

"Bella!" she cried when she was allowed in. She and my father practically ran to my bedside.

My mom held my hand, while my dad gave my leg a loving squeeze.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" mom asked.

"What's shakin', bacon?" my dad said quietly, a knowing smile on his face. He gave my leg another squeeze as his arm went around my mother's shoulders.

"Like I was hit by a freight train. I'm fine guys, really. My head is pounding and I'm monumentally tired."

"We won't stay long. The doctor told us they were only keeping you for observation." Dad said, squeezing my mom's shoulder.

I looked up at Edward, who was standing behind my parents, leaning on the wall. He gave me a furtive head shake to let me know that was all the doctor said to my parents.

The parade of visitors ended after Alice and Jasper came in to see me. No one stayed long; they all just wanted to see that I was alright.

"I'm getting you another week off, so just get home and rest." Alice said as she kissed me goodbye.

Edward stepped out with them and I heard the three of them talking quietly. He stuck his head back in and told me that he'd be right back.

I laid back and closed my eyes. Just as I was about to fall asleep, an orderly came in with a tray. I waited for him to leave before I lifted the lid to see what I had been brought.

There was some kind of meat covered in brown gravy, pasty looking mashed potatoes and shriveled up green beans. On a more palatable note, there was a little container of red jello and a cup of hot water with a generic looking tea bag.

The tea was the most appetizing thing on the tray. I unwrapped it and watched as it sunk into the hot water.

"What is that?" Edward asked.

"Nothing that I'm going to eat." I laughed lightly.

"Want me to get you something from the cafeteria? I can go out and get you a cheeseburger or a fish taco?" he offered. "You have to keep up your strength." Edward's proud little smirk made me feel all warm and fuzzy.

"You're really okay with this, aren't you?" I asked softly, my hand stroking the side of his face.

"I am more than okay with this, Bella. I am ecstatic. Over the moon. I don't think there is anything you could tell me to make me any happier."

I could see it was true. He was fairly glowing.

"Someone is bringing one of those reclining chairs in, and I am staying the night here with you."

"You are?" I said, sounding truly girly and in awe of my awesome boyfriend.

"Yeah, I am." Edward leaned over me and kissed my lips tenderly. "I'm going to run home, clean up real quick and come back."

"Okay." I looked over what he was wearing, and it looked good enough for me. He had on a pair of nicely fitting jeans that were definitely dirty from working. His shirt was just a plain white t-shirt that was smudged and by the looks of it, had some blood on it, as well.

"I'm going to bring you back some food, too. Any requests?" he smiled. The way he was looking at me, almost made me want to cry.

"Just you, Edward. You are all that I want." I swiped at a tear before it ran down my cheek.

"You already have me. I'm not going anywhere." he replied. "Sleep while I'm gone and you won't even miss me." Edward pressed his lips to mine and for the first time since this morning, which seemed light years away, he _really_ kissed me.

It was over much too soon for my liking, but I didn't put up a fuss. Edward left with a wave and I closed my eyes and was finally able let sleep take me.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts? That was a bit of a shorter chapter, but as I said at the beginning, I didn't want you to have to wait a full week. Hope you enjoyed it! **

**Somehow, Walk is up for Fic of the Week again over at the Lemonade Stand. If you feel so inclined, scoot on over there and vote. There are a lot of great authors with stories on the poll. **

**teh lemonade ...Fanfic is being a bitch and not letting me even type out the whole addy for these sites! **

**Yes-'the' is actually 'teh'. Remove the spaces.**

**Also, the Emerging Swan Awards are open for voting. Many categories with many authors nominated-Bird Girl by TheQueenWriter is up for Best Humor. I know many of you are reading that fic (thank you!) so go on over and vote if you haven't!**

**emerging swan (remove all spaces) add awards after swan then.c o m **

**The Queen is on facebook under Literally Queen. Go friend her up! **


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Here is your overdue chapter of Walk. I forgot to give honorable mention to some folks: NY13, ChicSarah & Pumpernickle93. These reviewers suggested that I use 'Corrine' as part of the name for the therapy farm. (if I left anyone out, my apologies) **

**I wanted to clear something up from the last chapter-Bella only kept the 'healthy mom & baby' pamphlets-she gave the others back to the doctor...knowing that Edward would lose it if he saw them. (Isn't she thoughtful?!)**

**SM owns Twilight and its characters. **

**Last we left our love birds, Laurent had his ass handed to him and Bella found out that she was pregnant... Enjoy!**

* * *

Walk

Chapter 15

EPOV

I was driving back to the farm, watching the dirt road swirl behind me in the dust. Suddenly, the realization of it all hit me. I pulled the car over to the side of the road.

_Bella is pregnant with my child._

_I am going to be a father._

There was no question that I was elated over this news. My mind raced with everything that having a baby entailed. Birthing classes, nursery decorating...oh my god. I need to marry Bella.

I was so glad that no one could read my mind. That sounded so wrong. I didn't _need_to marry her, like with shotguns and angry fathers.

But _I_needed to.

I wanted her to be mine for always, and for our child, and future children-yes, future children, to be born to wedded parents. Call me old fashioned.

Bella and I hadn't even talked about children or marriage. I guess that conversation just got moved up on the priority list. But not tonight. Bella only needs to rest tonight.

I got back on the road and was on my way home. I put on my best poker face so that I wouldn't let on about the pregnancy to my parents. My mother would be the hardest person to keep this from.

"How is Bella?" My mother's concerned face greeted me as I walked through my door.

"Bella is fine." I smiled, hoping they didn't see through me. "She has a headache, of course, but the doctors say she should start feeling better soon. They have her in her room now. I'm just going to get cleaned up and go back to stay with her."

"Is there anything you need us to do?" Dad asked.

"Where's James and Katrina?" I looked around my house.

"They went out to get some dinner."

"The horses need to be tended to." I walked into my office to look for Mike's number. "Give Mike a call and ask him to come over. Tell him I'll give him an extra twenty." I handed the sticky note with the kids' number to my dad. "I'll need him to feed in the morning, too."

"I'll handle it, Edward. Do what you need to do and get back to Bella." My dad clapped me on the back.

I looked at them both and really _really_wanted to tell them. They both looked sad and concerned, and my news would put smiles on their faces. Instead, I just hugged them both and ran up the stairs.

It was dark by the time I got back to the hospital. I stopped and bought Bella a strawberry milkshake and a cheeseburger, along with something for myself.

She was asleep, so I tried not to make too much noise with the bag as I set it on her little tray table.

The recliner had been brought in, along with a thin pillow and blanket. The TV was on with the volume low. I picked up the chair and moved it next to Bella's bed so I could sit and hold her hand.

I flipped the channels until I found the news and just caught a blurb about a local socialite that was arrested. There was a picture of Laurent being hauled out of a police car in front of the police station.

Fucker made my blood boil again just by seeing him. What could have happened, with Bella being pregnant, made my skin crawl. She could have lost the baby before we even knew about it.

I picked up Bella's hand and kissed it. All the shit that I went through was a faded memory all of a sudden. All I could see now was Bella.

"Hey you." Her sleepy voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"Hey." I stood and kissed her lightly. "I brought you some food-though your shake is a little melted." I chuckled.

"Oh god, I'm starving." Bella struggled to sit up. I found and pressed one of the buttons on the side of the bed.

"How's your head feel?" I asked, bringing her table closer to her.

"Not bad. Still feel a little loopy, but not much pain." she smiled, unwrapping her burger.

We ate in relative silence after turning off the TV. Bella stole most of my onion rings, but I didn't care. Since she'd stolen my heart already anyway, she could have anything else she wanted too.

"So...," Bella looked at me nervously.

"So...?" I prompted.

"I think we should talk about everything." Bella crumbled her wrapper into a ball.

"Everything? You mean the fact that you're pregnant?" I smiled.

"Yes." she smiled back. "I want to know what kind of expectations you have. What you see happening." Bella sighed. "It's not like we've talked about any of this before."

"True." I paused, searching for the right words. Now was not the time to sound cocky or indecisive. "I love you, Bella. I love that you are carrying our child and I plan on doing anything and everything I can to help you."

Her eyes sparkled with the smile that grew across her face. She patted the bed and scooted over to the left side.

I hopped up and slid next to her. Bella leaned forward and I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. I kissed the top of her head as she rested against my chest.

Bella groaned and reached under her blanket. I heard a _schlick_, as if something were stuck to her skin or the vinyl mattress, then watched as she pulled out a handful of pamphlets.

"What is that?" I laughed lightly.

"When the doctor told me that I was pregnant, she was armed with informational literature." Bella handed them to me.

Nutrition, birthing classes, pre-natal vitamins, risks...it looked like the standard information that they gave the mom-to-be.

"Will you go to the classes with me?" Bella asked quietly.

"Yes. And all of your appointments, everything, baby. I'm all in on this." I said in reassurance.

"I'm scared, Edward." she snuggled into me a little tighter.

"Of course you are. There isn't anything to be scared of, though. I'll be with you every step of the way." I assured her.

"I want to wait a while before we tell anyone. Is that okay?"

"Sure, baby. Whatever you want."

Bella pressed her lips to my chest and held me.

"I want to marry you, Bella." I said quietly as I stroked her hair.

Bella sat up and looked at me.

"What?"

"I want us to get married." I said softly. "You make me feel alive again. Like the past is over and my present and future look so good that everything else pales in comparison. I want you to be mine, in every way possible. You're everything to me, and I just want to be with you."

Bella leaned into me, her lips grazing against mine.

"I am yours, Edward. But, I'm not marrying you just because I'm pregnant."

"Listen to me, Bella. I understand that this all out of order. This has nothing to do with doing the "right" thing. This has everything to do with me wanting to be with you. Forever."

"How can I say no to that?" she smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Don't."

"I want to live with you. I want to share my life with you, and yes, when the time is right, I want to be your wife. I don't like the idea of getting married just because modern edict dictates that we do." Bella picked up my hand and placed it over her heart. "Does that make sense?"

I shifted in the bed, unsure of what exactly Bella was saying to me. She saw the confusion on my face and pressed her hand against my cheek.

"So, you will marry me, just not right now?" I asked, looking for clarification.

"Yes, I will."

"Okay then." I could live with that. "Let's get some sleep." I pulled her close and kissed her before closing my eyes and holding her through the night.

…

I hated not spending every waking moment with Bella, but I only had James here for a few more days. Jake had come back from Seth's place to be here when Bella got home. She assured me that with him and my parents, as well as her mother stopping by every day, that she would be fine.

Emmett had cleared his schedule and was here with a full crew. We were able to install the equipment and take care of some minor repair work that needed to be done. This place was always going to be a work in progress, but the main areas would be done by the time James left.

My parents had their bags packed and were ready to leave by Wednesday morning. They had stayed an extra two days to make sure that Bella was alright.

"Call us if you need anything, Bella." my mom said as she hugged Bella goodbye.

"Thank you for everything, Esme."

"It was lovely meeting you, Bella." Dad leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"You as well." Bella smiled.

"That was awkward." Bella laughed after my parents were gone.

"Why?"

"Meeting them for the first time, all the shit with Laurent, then finding out that I'm pregnant." she shook her head. "_Yeah, great girl you've got there, Edward." _she mocked. "I'm glad we didn't tell them."

"No, they love you already." I paused for a moment. "When are we telling them?"

"I think that you at least ought to be moved in here first." she suggested. While I had stayed with her every night since she had been released from the hospital, I wasn't truly moved in yet.

Bella laid down for a nap so I left her to get back to work. I met up with Emmett and James who were both sitting in the new viewing area. The padding was supposed to be here before the end of the week, but I could handle putting that in myself.

"Sorry man, Rosie and I are taking the kids somewhere..." I heard Emmett say as I sat down.

"That's okay. I wouldn't want to impose." James responded.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Tanya asked James to go to dinner with her." Emmett chuckled.

"I didn't realize that the two of you knew each other that well."

"I met her here, of course, and ran into her the other day." James shrugged. " She stopped by yesterday and we hung out for awhile. She even helped get the awning up." he pointed above our heads.

"And you guys hit it off. That's cool." I scratched my chin as I thought of a solution. "Why don't you just leave Katrina with us? She's spent some time with Bella, it should be alright."

"I don't want to put her out." James said.

"I'll ask her when she wakes up."

...

Bella was more than happy to have Katrina over for the evening. My father had given some of his books to her and she happily sat between us and read them.

We had a pleasant evening with the girl. She was more open than previously and I could tell that she had made some progress from being here and around my family. It made me proud of my parents that they took the time to spend with her.

We had a nice dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, which Katrina had a blast helping with. I was kind of sad when James came back and carried her over to my house to sleep.

...

We finished up all the projects and said goodbye to James and Katrina, and by Saturday, I was officially moved in with Bella.

And Jake.

He had been spending so much time with Seth, we had forgot about telling him.

"What the hell is all this?" Jake asked after he came downstairs and ran into a stack of boxes.

"Jake, come sit down with me." Bella patted the couch cushion next to her.

"Hmm, sounds serious. Can I get some coffee first?"

Jake got his coffee and joined us in the living room. He eyed us both warily and sipped from his cup.

"Okay. Spill." he said, leaning back against the couch.

"Well, as you can see, Edward is moving in." Bella looked around the room. "I'm sorry that I didn't talk to you before."

"It's your house, Bella. Besides, I don't care if your boyfriend moves in." he chuckled. "Was that it?" Jake moved to get up and Bella put a hand on his thigh to stop him.

"No, there's more." she smiled and looked at me, for reassurance, I'm sure. I smiled back, nodding my head.

Jake looked perplexed as he watched our unspoken conversation.

"I'm pregnant, Jake. It all happened so fast and you weren't here." Bella looked at her best friend, searching his face for his reaction.

"You're going to have a baby?" Jake's voice was filled with awe. He looked at me then back to Bella. Jake grabbed her hand. "Oh my god! You're having a baby!" He exclaimed, bouncing up and down in his seat.

"So, you're alright with this?" Bella asked him.

"Wow. You guys haven't been together that long. Are _you_okay with this?" Jake seemed to single me out with his question.

"More than okay." I smiled. "I love Bella, even more so now." My cheeks hurt from the smile on my face.

"Well alright then." Jake stood up so Bella and I did as well. "I guess now is as good a time as any to let you know that now that he's done with school, Seth and I are looking for our own place."

"Jake, that is awesome!" Bella pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Congratulations, Edward." Jake hugged me.

"Thanks, man. You too."

"Oh, Jake?" I reached out to stop him, "We aren't telling anyone yet, so keep it on the DL, okay?"

"Sure thing, Ed." he smiled.

…

Bella was called into the District Attorney's office to deal with the Laurent issue. We knew he was pleading no contest to assault and harassment charges, but the DA said there was more going on that he needed to speak with us about.

Bella looked nervous as we drove into the city. She fidgeted in her seat and picked at her nails.

"Bella, what's going on?" I took one of her hands and held it against my thigh.

"Umm," she hesitated. "I should tell you something." she started.

"You can tell me anything." I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"You're not going to like this." she laughed nervously.

"Just tell me, Bella."

"Laurent owes me money."

"What?" I hit the brakes and pulled into a gas station. I turned in my seat, "Explain, please."

"Well, up until a few months ago, he'd always paid on time."

"How much does he owe you?"

"Forty-eight hundred dollars."

"What?! You claimed he was a paying customer, Bella!"

"Well, he _was_. He told me that he ran into a little problem and that he'd catch it all up." she shrugged. "I was mainly thinking about the horse though, not him."

"Let's see what the District Attorney has to say, then go from there." I patted her leg and put the car back in gear.

"Fucking asshat. Can't take care of his damn horse but thought he could take care of my girl." I grumbled under my breath.

"What?" Bella laughed.

"Nothing, babe. Just muttering away some pent up aggression against that douche bag."

We were ushered into the DA's office and got right down to business. He reiterated the charges and sentencing scenario then proceeded to tell us that he would likely be facing other charges now that the IRS was involved.

Apparently, Laurent also had a problem paying his taxes. The federal charges would supercede the civil ones and he was looking at at least five years in a federal penitentiary.

"He owes Bella money for unpaid boarding fees. What kind of chance do we have of him just signing his horse over to Bella, since he'll have no way to pay any back fees, as well as any future ones?"

"There is probably a very good chance of that happening. I'll submit that to the attorneys, in lieu of the fact that his civil charges will fall by the wayside. Normally, any and all property would be seized by the government, but I may be able to get you some compensation in the form of his horse."

BPOV

As we walked out of the DA's office, I glanced to my left and saw Laurent and a lawyer type guy stepping into a room.

Laurent looked disheveled in his orange jumpsuit. His hair was a mess and he had a few days growth of stubble that was really unattractive on him.

I hadn't thought much about what had happened, being more occupied with the news that I was pregnant, but seeing him brought all those feelings right to the surface. I gripped onto Edward's arm tightly as the emotions rippled through me.

Edward looked at me with concern etched across his face. He took my hand off his arm and wrapped it around me protectively and led me out to the car.

"Sorry. I guess I freaked a little seeing Laurent in there." I apologized.

"Don't be sorry, Bella. I'm surprised you hadn't done it before now. It was a traumatic thing to go through."

"It was, but I know that he was drunk and would not have normally done anything like that to me."

"I wouldn't be so sure, Bella. He tried to kiss you in the barn that one time." Edward gritted his teeth. "So don't make excuses for him."

"I'm not really." I sighed. "I think that I'm making excuses for _me_."

Edward kissed the side of my head and put the car in motion. He stopped at a small restaurant to buy us lunch.

"I'm starving again." I said as I looked over the menu.

"You're eating for two now, baby." Edward was so proud of the fact that I was pregnant. I loved the goofy, child-like grin that he'd worn for most of this past week.

…

Jake and Seth had found a place that was more like a warehouse. There was a loft built in the middle of the space, leaving the floor open. He contracted Emmett to come in and make the loft more like a regular level, so that all the living space was up there and the floor area would be his art studio.

Emmett told them it would take him about three weeks before he would be able to get to it, then another three weeks to a month for it to be finished.

I had gone back to work the week following my release from the hospital. By the time I was a month along, my clothes were getting tight. I was going to have to tell Alice soon.

"I KNEW it!" Alice screeched. "I knew that something was up. All the times you ran off to the bathroom." she shook her head, but was still smiling.

"We didn't want to tell anyone right away."

"I get that. I was the same way." Alice nodded. "I'm so happy for you!" she said, squeezing me into a hug.

I sent Edward a text to let him know that cat was out of the bag and to feel free to share.

Immediately I regretted that. I still had to tell my parents. I quickly dialed Edward.

"Can you meet me here when I get out of work?" I asked.

"Sure. What's up?"

"We need to go see my parents. If they found out from someone besides me, they would never forgive me."

Edward and I arrived at my parents house and I still wasn't exactly sure how to tell them.

I could see all over their faces that they knew this wasn't a normal visit. My dad's mustache twitched while my mother eyed both Edward and I closely.

"So what's going on?" she asked as we took our place on the couch.

Edward, who had not let go of my hand, squeezed it and cleared his throat.

"We have some great news." he beamed. "Bella is pregnant."

My dad choked on his coffee and my mom sat abruptly in the chair. I felt my eyebrows stitch together and looked at the floor, praying that I wouldn't throw up. Edward nudged me gently with his shoulder and I looked up at him. He indicated with his eyes to look at my parents. My mom had tears in her eyes and was smiling while my dad still had not moved, other than to wipe the coffee from his lip.

"Dad?" I said quietly.

"I'm going to be a grandpa?" he asked, looking between all three of us in turn.

"In about eight months." Edward replied.

"Well...," dad started, "that is about the best thing I've heard in a long time.

The breath I was holding whooshed out of me and we all started laughing. Mom grabbed me into a hug then dragged me off down the hall. I stalled when I heard my dad address Edward.

"Son, you _do_plan on marrying my daughter, right?"

I had to put my hand over my mouth to stifle the giggle.

"Actually, I do sir. I already asked her and she refused."

"What?!" my dad said loudly.

"To be precise, she refused to marry me _right now_. But she did say yes, only that we had to wait."

"For how long?" My father sounded a little calmer so I followed my mom's voice into the spare bedroom.

She had pulled out some boxes with old baby clothes and toys that had been mine and Corinne's. I let her show me all her favorites until Edward came looking for me saying that we needed to get going.

...

Edward had unveiled the sign, officially naming the place 'Corrine's Hope' after he and I discussed the name further. My opinion was that Hope better expressed the intent behind the whole idea, rather than Heart. Edward agreed.

The sign was beautiful with deep blue lettering against a white background. There was a corral with two horses in it, along with some green trees. It was large enough not to be missed, but not so big that it was gaudy.

Tanya was instrumental in getting Edward his first patient. A boy of twelve had taken a nasty fall out of a tree, injuring his back. He had worn a brace for six months already and hadn't progressed very far in traditional therapy.

"He's going to be a tough nut to crack, but I think we'll make some progress. I just need more time with him."

"I have no doubt in your abilities, Doctor." I told him as we were going to bed.

"I'll show you my abilities." he whispered in an alluring tone.

Edward used his hands and lips to knead away the knots in my back before showing me all of his _other_abilities.

...

My first obstetrics appointment had me both excited and nervous. Alice told me all about what to expect and that did help alleviate some of the anxiety.

Edward stayed in the room with me and held my hand as I was given a pelvic exam. He faced the wall during the entire thing.

"Your gynecologist is a man?" he hissed when the doctor left the room.

"Pretend he's gay, Edward." I laughed. "I've seen him for years, it's fine."

"Is he?" Edward asked.

"No." I said, just as the door reopened. The doctor was wheeling in a machine.

"Is that an ultrasound machine?" I asked.

"Sonogram." Dr. Templeton smiled. "We're going to put this against your belly," he held up something that looked like a cross between a wand and a microphone, "and see how the little guy is doing."

He squeezed some warm jelly onto my lower abdomen and pressed the wand against it. Almost immediately, I heard a quick whooshing noise. Dr. Templeton smiled but kept looking at the screen, which was turned away from us.

Edward was bent down, watching my belly as he listened to the sounds of his child's heart beat. He looked at me and I saw tears in his eyes.

"That is a strong, healthy heartbeat." the doctor smiled.

After a minute the doctor was still looking at the screen and moving the wand around, pressing a little harder in some areas.

"Is something wrong?" Edward asked.

"Do you hear that echo?" Dr. Templeton asked. He turned the volume up and cocked his head.

He finally turned the machine so we could see the screen. Our baby was nothing but a tiny thing, but we could clearly see it. When the doctor was satisfied that we'd heard enough, he printed a picture and turned the machine off.

"Isabella, how is your back doing?" he was referring to my old injury.

"It hasn't been too bad. If I'm on my feet a lot it seems to act up."

"Sore? Spasms?" he prompted me.

"Just sore, achy."

"We normally wait until the mother is further along for further testing, but in light of your past injury, I'd like you to go to the hospital and have a vaginal ultrasound."

"Is there something wrong, Doctor?" Edward asked again.

"I don't think it's anything to be alarmed about. I just want to make sure that Bella and the baby are in the best possible health."

Dr. Templeton told me that I could get dressed and asked us to wait for him. Ten minutes later, he came back with a paper that had my name across the top.

"I've called the hospital and made arrangements for you to go over there now. I'll meet you there after the test."

I became extremely worried and wondered what this was all about. I looked at Edward who, for some reason, didn't look as concerned as I felt.

"He said that it was just a precaution and that the baby had a good healthy heartbeat." Edward tightened his hold on me and kissed the top of my head. "I'll be with you the whole time, baby."

"And what the hell is a _vaginal_ultrasound?" I asked my own personal doctor/boyfriend.

"Well, it's much like the wand that Dr. Templeton used, only this one is inserted vaginally." Edward grimaced. He didn't like the sound of it anymore than I did. "Just remember that it's for the baby." he said, trying to ease my tension.

"Yes, of course, Edward." I agreed. "That doesn't mean I have to like it though."

Boy was I right. If you think you feel violated after a vaginal exam, that isn't anything compared to this test.

The wand looked HUGE as the technician slipped an industrial sized condom-like cover over the end.

"Bend your knees, relax." she instructed. Edward held my hand again but this time he was watching the screen. Every so often he'd look at me and smile. The room was cold and dim and made me feel claustrophobic. I finally just closed my eyes and tried to stay relaxed.

I was told to hold my breath at certain points and heard her tapping away on her keyboard. She finally removed the wand and handed me a towel to wipe away the residual gel.

"You can get dressed." she smiled. "When you're ready, go out and make a left at the end of the hall and wait in room three. Your doctor will meet you there shortly."

I got dressed and we found the room that the technician told us to wait in. There was nothing but a small table and four chairs in the room. My fingers started strumming on the laminate table and my leg bounced nervously.

Edward just touched my cheek and smiled, trying his best to calm me.

When my doctor walked in, my heart rate sped up and my mouth went dry. He had a file folder with him and sat down across from us as he opened it.

"While I was doing the sonogram in my office, do you recall the echo I spoke of?" he asked brightly.

"Yes." Edward said quickly. I looked over at him and he seemed excited, not worried.

"Yes, I remember." I responded. "What was it?"

"Baby number two." Dr. Templeton produced a picture like scan and placed it in front of us. "You're having twins."

"Yes!" Edward exclaimed. "I knew it!"

"Huh?" I said, utterly astonished. "You knew?"

"I suspected." Edward was beaming. He leaned in and kissed me, not caring at all that my doctor was present.

"Wait." I held up a hand and picked up the picture with the other. "Twins?"

"The echo was the second heartbeat and this," he used his pen to point to a spot on the ultrasound picture, "is baby number two."

I never would have known it if he hadn't shown me where to look. I squinted and turned the picture this way and that.

"Having this test, as I mentioned earlier, is highly irregular Bella. But given your history, I had to be certain. For now, the only restrictions are to not let yourself get worn down. Plenty of rest, practice good nutrition, take your prenatal vitamins and moderate exercise."

"What about horseback riding?" Edward asked.

"I don't recommend it. I don't want anything to aggravate your back, Bella. Soon these kids are going to be giving it enough strain. Do you have any questions at this point?" he asked.

"No." I mumbled.

"Not right now. When do we come back?" Edward asked.

"I'd like to see Bella in two weeks. I'll have my office make the appointment and give you a call." he said, standing. "Congratulations, you two."

"Twins." I said, trying to get it to sink in.

"Twins." Edward smiled. The boy's face was going to break from all his smiling.

The rest of the day, Edward pampered me. He made me scrambled eggs and toast for dinner, propped my feet up on the table and put a DVD in for us to watch.

Edward held my hair when I had to throw up, rubbed my feet and back when they ached and made sure that my every craving was met. Even if it meant that he had to run out at midnight to buy me Pretzel M&Ms.

I could not have asked for a better man to be the daddy of my babies.

Now we just had to get through the next eight months...you babies sit tight.

* * *

**A/N: I take creative license for all the medical stuff. I know that most women do NOT find out they're pregnant as early as Bella did; testing usually happens later, etc. But, the vaginal ultrasound is very close to the real thing-I've had to endure it twice, though I wasn't pregnant. Not an enjoyable procedure. just sayin.**

**My eternal thanks and love to my girls, Euphoria9 and TheQueenWriter. I want a plate of slutty brownies! *bird***

**Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think xoxox**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

* * *

Walk

Chapter 16

BPOV

_Beginning of the second trimester..._

I sat in the third row of the newly padded bleacher seats, thankful for the awning that protected me from the blazing sun. The shadow that covered me made me feel as though I was hidden from view, not that any kind of stealth was actually needed. But as I watched Edward with the young boy, I felt like I would be invading on something private.

When he first got here, Thomas was fearful and angry. Edward offered him his hand in introduction and the kid sneered and waved his crutch at him. Thomas' arm slipped out of the cuff and he stumbled, but caught himself. Edward reached out to help, of course, and Thomas snapped at him.

He took it all in stride, though. Edward was patient and kind, though not overly. I remember him telling me that some kids needed a little bit of tough love. Encouragement and kindness, patience and tolerance, but also a push to try harder.

I kept my distance. This was all Edward's thing and I was only an observer, at this point in time, anyway. The kids he worked with needed him desperately and I did not want to impede the process in any way.

Today was the second day that Thomas had come to Corrine's Hope and I secretly said a prayer that he wouldn't push Edward away.

I watched as he was introduced to Bailey. Her owner was ecstatic about the horse being included in the program, and the horse really took to all the attention.

Bailey was a very well behaved lady. She stood still as Edward and Thomas approached her. He had given the boy half of an apple to offer Bailey, who ate it quickly but gently from his hand. I watched as a smile crept across his face. It didn't last long, he wasn't yet ready to let his guard down completely.

Edward had this contraption out in the corral for the child to sit in; it was almost like a very tall high chair- tall enough that Thomas could sit in the seat without fear of falling and brush Bailey.

Edward leaned back against the fence with his arms crossed over his chest, allowing Thomas to interact with the horse on his own. He was close enough if needed, but far enough away for the kid to let his guard down, which was exactly what Edward was going for.

I watched Edward's face break out into a smile as Thomas began talking to Bailey. He let him brush the horse for about fifteen minutes before moving her a few steps away and helping Thomas out of the seat.

I heard him ask if the boy was thirsty and they started their way over to the seating area. I glanced down at the quietly humming pint size refrigerator, knowing that it was stocked full of juice boxes and water bottles.

Edward had planned this seating area with a lot of forethought. Emmett poured a cement base and they had built the four rows of stadium-style seating over it. There was enough room on the cement pad for the tiny fridge to sit well up off the ground.

I hopped down and met them as they got to the seats.

"Water or juice?" I asked, opening the refrigerator door.

"Thomas, this is my girlfriend, Bella." Edward winked at me with a smile.

"Hey." Thomas said quietly, only briefly looking at me.

"It's nice to meet you, Thomas." I replied.

"What would you like?" Edward asked, pointing towards the open fridge.

"Water, please." Thomas spoke softly.

I knelt down and took two bottles out. I turned back and handed one to each of them.

"I'll leave you guys to it. Have fun." I smiled at him. "I'm going up to the house to start dinner." I gave Edward a quick kiss on the cheek and left them in the corral.

I heard Edward tell Thomas that he'd be right back, followed by the sound of him jogging to catch up with me.

"Babe?" he reached out and touched the back of my arm. "Everything alright?"

"Yes." I smiled. He had become so protective since learning about the babies. "I just wanted to watch you in action. I didn't mean to interfere."

"Ah, no. You didn't." Edward sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. "The kid has a chip on his shoulder, but it's already starting to crumble. I think he just needs someone that isn't going to baby him."

"Did you speak to your parents?" I asked, remembering that he was supposed to have called them about our intended visit this weekend.

"Yes, we're all set. Dad will pick us up at the airport. You're still getting out at noon?" Edward reached out a hand, rubbing over the swell of my belly.

"I am." I sighed, not really meaning to. I was feeling tired and hungry, though. I wondered how much of it was just in my mind. It seems that as soon as I found out about the babies, all these symptoms started plaguing me.

"Go rest, babe." Edward said, placing a soft kiss on my forehead. "I can pick something up if you don't feel like cooking."

He turned and went back to Thomas, leaving me with tears in my eyes.

Yes, the littlest of things brought me to tears, even just my boyfriend being sweet to me.

…

"How you guys doing in there?" I asked, patting gently on my stomach. I pulled the throw over me and laid back into the corner of the couch.

Things were changing so quickly that I found myself wishing the world would slow down for just a moment or two.

Jake was never here anymore, spending most of his time at his new place overseeing the renovations. If not there, he was with Seth.

Edward had another patient other than Thomas; a young girl named Sally who was recovering from surgery that corrected her scoliosis. So he was busier, trying to get this place up and running. He started consulting at The Rehab Center in town, as well and was called in two to three times a week.

And, of course, I was pregnant-with our twins. I had already gotten over the shock of being pregnant but I still found it overwhelming at times. Edward was beside himself with joy and it was hard to be anything but joyful when around him.

This weekend we were going to tell Edward's parents. I knew deep down that they would take the news well, but hints of doubt easily snuck into my thoughts.

Edward's mother was really the only one who balked at our age difference, at least in the very beginning. I kept wondering if, once she found out about our news, she'd revert back to that and think me irresponsible or immature. I'd had a birthday, but even so, I was only twenty-three. Edward was still eleven years older.

He kept telling me that she would not see it that way. She'd be happy for us and happy that she'd have two new grandbabies. I did my best to hold onto that thought when the doubts crept in.

Edward and I were preparing to move into the attic once Jake was completely moved out. We planned on turning our present bedroom into the nursery. We already had the paint picked out-a very soft, very light green.

We had started going through catalogs and looking online for furniture and accessories. Thankfully, we seemed to agree on most of the things we looked at. Both of us really like the Shaker style and found a few stores that carried that in their nursery furnishings.

I had to hold Edward back from ordering a lot of things. I hated to do it, to put a damper on his enthusiasm, but there was only so much that we would actually use once the babies got here. They would be growing so quickly, they would never have time to wear all the outfits that he wanted, either.

I closed my eyes and dreamed of bronze haired children, and their father swinging them around in the yard.

EPOV

Thomas was proving to be a challenge. He would let his guard down momentarily, only to throw the wall right back up. He kept pushing to get up in the saddle, but I wanted his tenseness and trepidation to subside a little more before we moved to that level.

Bella had suggested that I try to talk to him about something that was more fitting for his age bracket, rather than focusing on just getting him on the horse. I always had a great rapport with the kids that I worked with and usually had a Q and A session with them prior to starting their therapy.

I had been majorly distracted by recent events and Tanya kind of sprung the kid on me so I had little time to prepare. I thumped my forehead with the heel of my hand at Bella's suggestion.

I sat with him on the bleachers and began by telling him more about me and how I got into my profession. That seemed to open the door some and Thomas began telling me his story.

He had played baseball before his accident so I started with that. After giving me his stats for the last season he played, he admitted that he was afraid that he would never be able to play again, even after I got him out of his brace.

I explained to him my plan for his complete recovery and all of a sudden, he was a different kid.

After Thomas left, I hung out with Mike for awhile, helping him get the horses set for the night. It wasn't too late, but I'd wager that Bella would be ready for dinner.

I walked into the house and saw Bella asleep on the couch. Her eyes fluttered gently under their lids and her bottom lip jutted out, making her look like a little girl. While my only wish was for healthy children, I couldn't help but hope that we had a baby girl that looked just like this.

I knelt down next to Bella, brushing the hair from her face and kissing her softly on the forehead.

"Sweetheart." I whispered, my lips ghosting over the shell of her ear. I nudged her gently with my nose.

"Hmm?" she responded sleepily. Bella blinked a few times before focusing her beautiful brown eyes on my face.

"I'm starving." I grinned. "What sounds good to you?"

Bella had experienced some weird cravings. French fries dipped in mayonnaise, grilled onions and mushrooms that she'd eat all by themselves, and the strangest of all, spicy pickled peppers. Bella would eat them right out of the jar and on anything she could put them on.

Bella's eyes lit up with the thought of food.

"Subway." she replied definitively.

"Again?" I chided.

Bella gave me a pouty look before lifting her lips to mine. "Anything different this time?" I asked, giving in to my lovely little mother to be.

"Nope, I want it exactly like the last one." her smile washed over me, helping to quash the thoughts that her last sandwich brought to mind.

Bella wasn't able to decide between the turkey or the meatball sub. So instead of choosing one, she had me get her a turkey bacon sub with meatballs added to it, along with all the vegetables that were available.

It looked like a huge mess to me, but Bella declared that it was delicious. As long as she was happy, so was I.

I'd always heard that line about the 'love of a good woman', though I never had any reason to believe it. Kate was comfortable and fitting at the time we got together, but that was all.

Bella, on the other hand-even with all her quirky food cravings-made me feel more like a man than I ever had. She made me feel alive, wanted, necessary, appreciated, content and loved, all with just a glance from her shining brown eyes.

I had to come down a painful road to get to where I am, and god help the person that tries to come between it and me. I was fiercely protective of Bella, even before she was carrying my babies.

I fought to keep it in check though; I didn't want to come off as an overbearing asshole. But I saw how other men looked at her when we were out together. She had no idea how gorgeous she was.

With her light makeup and swept back hair, she had a freshness that radiated from her and made others draw to her like a flower to the sun.

I was intensely proud to have her on my arm and metaphorically beat my chest like a gorilla when passersby caught sight of her baby bump.

_Yeah, _I_ did that to her._

Such was the case when we boarded the small plane for the forty-five minute flight to Santa Fe. There were only 6 other passengers, but the plane was at full capacity. Because of the close quarters, conversations were struck up around us with ease.

The two suited businessmen who sat across from us in the backward facing seats couldn't keep their eyes off of my Bella. She was wearing a white sun dress with red trim and little red cherries splashed all over it. Her tiny feet were ensconced in matching red flats.

She was both innocent and sexy at the same time. I took every opportunity to stake my claim on her, trying to not overdo it.

I caught one of the men glance over his magazine at her and visibly gulping when she crossed her shapely legs. I slid my hand over her knee while bringing her hand to my lips.

"Edward." she whispered in my ear. "I think they get it."

I pulled my head away from her to give her my 'I don't know what you're talking about' look. Bella smirked at me, but still gave me a quick kiss on the lips.

I guess I wasn't as cunning as I thought I was. I didn't care. Motherfuckers are going to know that this woman is _mine_.

I could tell that Bella was getting nervous. She crossed and uncrossed her legs and tapped her fingers on her knee. I swept her hand into mine and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Everything is going to be fine, baby. What's the worst that can happen?" I asked.

Fear replaced the anxiety in her eyes as she contemplated what the worst could be. Damnit.

"If, and that is a mighty big if," I quantified, "they aren't happy for us, then screw them."

Bella's eyes popped open wide, disbelief coloring them.

"I mean it, Bella. If anyone wants to rain on our parade, then fuck them. My life is all about you and our babies now. As long as I have that, then I'm good."

I watched as tears filled her eyes, though I had gotten pretty good at reading that. Her smile told me that they were 'happy' tears.

We taxied along the concourse and came to a stop near the terminal. The workers were already pulling the luggage from the cargo hold as we stepped off the stairs.

I heard my name and turned to the fence that kept people off the tarmac and safely away from the plane traffic. I waved at my father and grabbed our one rolling suitcase. I swung Bella's carry on over my shoulder and took her hand then headed towards my father.

"Bella." Dad pulled her into his arms. "Son." He let Bella go and shook my hand while clapping my shoulder.

"How was the flight?" he asked, taking Bella's hand.

"It was great." Bella replied.

"Do you mind if we swing by and pick up Esme? She had to stay at the store until her assistant manager came in, but she is dying to see you."

"Sure, that's fine." Bella smiled tightly.

Ever the gentleman, my father held open the passenger door and helped Bella into the car, waiting patiently while she got herself situated in the seat.

I tossed our bags into the trunk and got in behind Bella.

"How have you two been? Anything new going on?" Dad asked.

Bella choked, then covered it with a cough.

"Thomas finally had a breakthrough." I informed him, rather than letting Bella squirm.

"That's wonderful, Edward." Dad smiled at me in the rear view mirror.

I told him about the last session that Thomas and I had, while pointing a few things out to Bella along the way to my mom's store, The Book Nook.

"They're here!" My mother squealed as we walked through the door. She ran out from behind the counter and hugged us both.

Mom pulled back, leaving her hands on our shoulders. She eyed Bella closely for a moment before taking a step back.

"This is a beautiful store, Esme." Bella said as she glanced over the shelves and seating areas.

"Thank you. You can take a look around if you like." Mom extended her arm to encompass the large space.

"Wow. I could spend hours in here." Bella marveled as she walked into the first aisle.

She seemed especially fond of the intimate reading areas that my mother insisted upon. They were rather inviting with the comfortable upholstered chairs that were flanked by small tables. Bella sat in a worn brown leather chair and smiled up at us.

"Who's hungry?" Mom asked, looking towards Bella just a little longer than necessary.

…

Dad drove us a few blocks over to the Coyote Cafe; we opted to eat on the rooftop cantina. There was a slight breeze to help cool off the heat of the day and the evening rush was still a couple of hours away.

We ordered iced teas and fire roasted salsa with house made tortilla chips for the table.

Normal pleasantries were made until the appetizers arrived. Once our orders were taken, my mother sat back and eyed us both curiously.

"What's going on with you two?" she asked, causally taking a sip of her tea.

"Weren't you listening?" I chuckled. We had just gave them a quick rundown of the happenings in our lives, save for one major detail.

"No," mom shook her head. "there is something else." she smiled, narrowing her eyes slightly.

I looked at Bella and she shrugged her shoulders infinitesimally. I took her hand that was sitting on the table and threaded our fingers together.

"We do have some news. I planned on waiting until we were at the house, not out here in public."

My mother was almost vibrating, sitting in her chair barely able to contain herself. She knows. How the hell that happened, I have no idea, but she does.

"Bella is pregnant."

Before I was able to get another word out, Mom was out of her chair and had Bella in her arms, kissing her face.

"That is such wonderful news!" she cried.

"Esme, honey, you're making a scene." My dad laughed. He had gotten up and was pulling her back to her chair.

"Congratulations." My father's face was awash in pride and sincerity.

"How far along are you?" Mom asked.

"About three months." Bella finally spoke, her eyes were watery again. "I found out when I was taken to the hospital."

"You've known all this time?" Mom was clearly disappointed.

"We didn't tell anyone right away and we didn't want to tell you over the phone." I said in our defense.

"That is perfectly understandable." Dad smiled, taking mom's hand in his own. They shared a look before turning back to us.

"I am so excited!" Mom's smile reappeared. "Oh, Carlisle, can you imagine...a granddaughter." she sighed. "No-a grandson." she gushed, then shook her head. "I don't care, I'll take either!" she laughed.

"Well, you might get both." I remarked.

Both of my parents' eyebrows shot to their hairlines.

"We're having twins." Bella smiled.

Mom almost fainted before reaching for Bella's hand and squeezing it until it turned white.

"Bella." she said quietly, her voice full of emotion. Mom just looked at her, the excitement dancing in her eyes. "This is definitely cause for celebration."

The waiter came out carrying a large tray with our orders and sat it down on a collapsible table that he'd brought with him.

"Can I get another order of salsa?" Bella asked as her Navajo Tacos were placed in front of her.

"She's eating for three!" My mom chimed in. "Get whatever you want, honey."

I leaned over to whisper into Bella's ear. "See? I told you it would be fine."

…

The next day, Mom insisted that we go shopping before we hit a couple of museums that Bella mentioned wanting to go to. After spending an hour at the store, I left them all there while I ran over to my lawyer's office. He told me that he'd been in until lunchtime.

"Mr. Cullen." Victor shook my hand. "This should only take a moment." He found the documents easily and flipped through it. "Sign here and here and initial here." He said, pointing out the blank lines. I noticed that Kate had already signed in her spots. I also noted that she opted to take back her maiden name.

Fine by me. The only other Mrs. Cullen that I wanted around besides my mother was Bella.

I signed where I was supposed to and was told that I would get copies sent to me.

"You're a free man, Edward." Victor congratulated me.

Even though my marriage had been over for a long time, signing the papers and making it legal put a lift in my step. As I walked out the door, my phone buzzed with a text from Bella telling me that they were done at that store and that she was ready for lunch.

I made my way back to where my family was waiting for me. Both my parents had scowls on their faces while Bella just looked confused.

"What's going on?" I asked. "Did something happen?"

"Let's just get in the car and go." Dad urged. Mom was already halfway in when I heard a voice that I immediately recognized.

Kate.

"Edward. Is that you?"

I turned towards her and was shocked at her appearance. She was thin and sallow looking and her eyes gave away the fact that she had not been sleeping well.

Her outfit was impeccable, though. Typical Kate, who always dressed to impress. Or _undressed_, as the case was the last time I had heard of her.

"Kate." I acknowledged her.

"Here for a visit?" she asked, as if we were old friends.

"Obviously. Is there something that I can do for you?" I asked tersely.

"I just wanted to say hello." Kate looked me up and down. "You're looking good."

"Well, you've said it. We're leaving now." I stepped off the curb, my hand outstretched for the car door handle.

"Wait. Can't we catch up?"

"What do we possibly have to catch up on?" I said through gritted teeth.

Bella stepped closer to me. "So...this is Kate?" she murmured, absently rubbing her hand over her belly. Bella took in her appearance and just eyed her pitifully.

"Who the hell are you?" Kate sneered.

Bella laughed dismissively and placed my hand across her stomach. "I'll just wait in the car." I kissed her full on the lips then closed the car door before turning back towards Kate.

"Oh, I see. You knocked her up. She's a little young for you, isn't she Edward?" Kate cackled.

"Do NOT say another word about the mother of my grandchildren, you whore." Mom's voice was low, but full of conviction. It struck some fear into Kate's eyes. "I trusted you. We all did. I am ashamed that I ever gave it to you." Dad put his arm around my mother and led her back to the car.

"Hey, you can't speak to me like that. Edward is technically still my husband!" Kate spat.

"Kate, I think it's best if you leave." My dad advised.

"It's a free country." she said, holding her ground.

I knew that I shouldn't engage her, but I had a few things that I wanted to get off my chest.

"Bella may be young, but she is one of the best people that I know. She is more of a woman than you will ever be. She has heart and soul and more grace than you will ever be able to possess."

"Because she was stupid enough to get pregnant?" she shouted.

"You evil bitch. I am so thankful that you did what you did. I shudder to think what kind of mother you would have been. You are a wretched, deceiving, manipulative cunt, and if I never see or hear from you again, it will be too soon."

I turned to leave. "Oh, so you know?" I looked over my shoulder. "We _are _divorced. I just signed the papers."

As we pulled away, Kate stood staring after us, her shoulders sagging in defeat. I hoped that was the last time that I would ever lay eyes on her.

We found an outside cafe and took some time to settle our nerves after the confrontation with Kate. I was worried that Bella would be stressing over it, but she seemed perfectly fine. It definitely didn't damper her appetite.

"Oh my god." she groaned, pushing her empty plate away. "I'm going to gain a hundred pounds."

"Nonsense, dear. You'll be just fine." Mom patted Bella's hand in reassurance.

"Even if you do, that's just more of you to love." I said, nuzzling her ear.

"Ugh. Really?" Bella scowled at me. "God, I hope not. But thank you." she smiled and laid her hand on my thigh.

We took off for the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and also stopped at the Museum of Indian Arts and Cultures. We didn't spend a lot of time at either place, but Bella seemed to enjoy herself.

After Bella had her fill, we were all ready to go home and just sit around for the rest of the weekend. Dad showed us his latest book that he was writing. Mom pulled out my baby album and some of my old baby stuff. She and Bella whispered and laughed, bonding over my naked baby pictures.

We had a great weekend, but I was so glad to be home with Bella come Monday afternoon.

Emmett had been trying to get us over to their place for a BBQ ever since he found out that Bella was pregnant. He said we needed to lift some brew to toast my successful impregnation of Bella.

Monday being a holiday, everyone was gathered at the McCarty residence. Bella wanted to eat and see everyone, so we went ahead and stopped by.

The girls made plans for a baby shower while the guys toasted my manliness. Alice and Jasper left early because Eric threw up in the bushes.

"That is just nasty." I commented so only Bella could hear me. She almost fell out of her seat from laughing so hard.

"You'd better steel yourself, Edward. Babies do a hell of a lot more than throw up." she said after regaining some composure.

I stuck a finger to her ribs and wiggled it around, making her beg me to stop.

BPOV

I was utterly exhausted from our weekend. I had a great time and was happier than I ever thought that I would be. Edward's parents were so excited about the babies that it brought a tear to my eye.

"What do you have there?" I asked Edward as I slid into bed.

He was propped up against the headboard, book in hand. The sheet was pulled up to his waist, leaving his chest bare for my viewing pleasure. If I wasn't so tired, I'd jump his fine ass.

"_Be Prepared_. _A Practical Handbook for New Dads._ Emmett gave it to me." he said, barely looking up from the page.

I snuggled up next to him, enjoying the warmth that he created. Edward laid a hand on my hip and I fell asleep knowing that our babies would want for nothing with him as their father.

I woke up the next morning unable to move. Edward had carefully wrapped himself around me as we slept. I had been so tired I didn't even notice. It took me a few minutes, but I was able to maneuver my way out from under his heavy limbs.

I wasn't due in to the museum until after lunch, so I decided to make french toast and bacon. I opted for the healthier turkey bacon, which was not at all the same thing, but it was better than nothing. Just as I pulled it out of the oven, I heard Edward come down the stairs.

I turned towards the doorway and watched as he shuffled into the kitchen. His hair was a mess and he had wrinkle marks on his face from the pillow. He was still shirtless and his loose pajama pants hung low on his waist.

I was shamelessly eye fucking my man and he knew it.

"Bella." my name rumbled around in the back of his throat.

Edward took a few steps towards me, trapping me between his arms against the corner.

"Is that french toast?" he whispered into my ear. The rush of his breath against me made me shiver.

"Mmhmm." was all I was able to reply.

"Too bad it's going to get cold." Edward's tongue dragged over the skin beneath my ear. "Turn around." I gladly complied.

"I love these tiny shorts that you wear to bed." he said as his hand slid over my ass. He reached under my loose t-shirt and cupped one of my breasts in his hand while the other left a trail down my thigh.

He brought it back up my leg and stopped at the edge of my shorts, sneaking a long finger up inside the leg.

"You're so wet already." he said after testing my throbbing center.

Edward peeled my shorts off of me and nudged my legs apart with his knee.

"Bend over." Edward pushed gently on my back as I leaned over the counter.

Edward placed his hands on my hips as he positioned himself behind me. The feel of his fingers gripping me made me tremble with desire.

I let out a long, low moan as he entered me. He leaned over me, so that his chest was pressed against my back. I felt his breath then his lips against my neck as he held me and thrusted slowly into me.

"Bella...," he muttered against my skin. "So goddamned tight like this."

"Edward," I panted. "more. Please." He was always so careful with me after learning that I was pregnant; even though he knew that the babies were completely safe. He said it was a psychosomatic thing.

His sweaty skin peeled away from mine as he stood up. I felt him spread my backside ever so slightly before he told me to hold on.

Edward began pistoning his hips upward and forward, finding that spot inside of me that made me fall apart almost instantly.

"Ohohohmygod." I cried out, leaning further down on the counter top. My breasts were squashed beneath me, but the pleasure definitely outweighed the discomfort.

"I'm not going to last long like this." Edward hissed, not slowing his rhythm. I rolled my hips and felt him stiffen inside me.

"Damn." Edward said as he fell against me. Even in the state he was in, he was still careful of my belly. His hands reached around and stroked over his babies before he placed a kiss on my back and moved away from me.

When he had pulled my shorts back up my legs, he gave me a tender kiss on the lips and brushed his nose against mine.

"You're alright?" he asked, holding my gaze intently.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine."

"I'll have to thank Emmett again for that book." he mumbled.

"What?"

"I read in that book last night that I, uh, didn't have to be so careful with you just yet." Edward's cheeks tinged pink as he spoke.

"You can thank him for me, as well." I told him before I skipped off to the shower.

…

I was busy helping Alice catalog some pieces we had on loan from a museum in London when I was called up to the docent's desk. I was told that I had a visitor.

I was surprised to see District Attorney Ross standing off to the side of the large oak desk.

"Hello. Can I help you?"

"Ms. Swan." he greeted me. "I apologize for coming to your place of business, but I called your house and was told that you would be here until this evening."

"It's not a problem." I assured him. He was rummaging around in his briefcase until he found an official looking piece of paper.

"I was able to get the government to release the defendant's horse to you. It wasn't easy, but I was able to convince them in the end, that you needed some kind of retribution." He gave me a sympathetic smile. "I know that it isn't nearly enough for what you had to endure, but I can assure you that he will be in a federal penitentiary for at least five years. Most likely seven."

I thanked the man and waited until he walked out of the building before letting go with a squeal.

Edward was going to be so happy that Zeus would be his.

* * *

*The Coyote Cafe really exists in downtown Santa Fe. The menu selections look utterly delectable. *_Be Prepared_. _A Practical Handbook for New Dads_is a real book, though I have no idea if it advises men on sexual relations with theirmoms to be...

Any thoughts you have on this chapter, I would love to hear!

My rec: Bete Noir by TheQueenWriter. It is a yummy Halloween one-shot. Happy Halloween!


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: So, major fail on review response for Ch 16. Sorry. You all overwhelm me with the love you send me, though. I'm so glad you're enjoying this fic. I have 2 other projects in the works. One of my own, which will be my first foray into vampward, and a collab with a good friend of mine, TheQueenWriter. With the holidays upon us, I don't know when either will post, very likely not til after the first of the year. **

**If I miss getting out the next chapter before Thanksgiving, I want to wish you all a happy one. (USA readers) I am thankful that SM allowed us to write fanfic based on Twilight and I am thankful for all of you reading this! I am also thankful for a few special ladies. Each one has a very special place in my heart. Euphoria, Queen and Kiwi. Love you guys!**

**And how was BD2?! OMG I LOVED IT. Every single second of it. Epic.**

**Enough rambling. Enjoy!**

* * *

Walk

Chapter 17

EPOV

"Jake, you have to turn it more." I said, waiting for him to comply. "No, pivot." I instructed. "The other way."

I tried to keep my voice even as I waited for Jake to find his coordination. We were moving a bed into the attic and it was taking much longer than necessary.

"How did you ever get all your shit out of here?" I asked, laughing at him.

"Fuck you, Cullen. I had hired help."

"Yeah, well, Bella will be home soon. I need to get this done."

Jake finally turned his end the right way and we made it into the room with the mattress.

"How are you going to get this finished without her knowing about it?" he asked after setting his end down.

"Renee, mostly." I smiled remembering how excited she was with my idea. "My mom will lend a hand when they come for the party."

"Besides, Bella sleeps a lot. I use my time wisely." I smiled, looking around the room.

I still had plenty to do. My free time was usually limited to when Bella was sleeping. I had clients during the day and Bella was around most evenings.

"Isn't it a little early for her to be home?" Jake asked, looking at his watch.

"We have an ultrasound appointment this afternoon. Bella wanted to come home and shower first." I shrugged.

I wanted her to just take the day off, but she insisted that she had to go in for a couple of hours. Even though she had taken a shower this morning before she left for work, she felt that she had to take another before her doctors appointment. I stopped questioning some of the quirks that she had developed over the last few months.

Jake was pulling out of the driveway as Bella was coming in, both waving to each other as they passed. I waited until the car stopped before reaching for Bella's door.

"Hi sweetheart." I offered her my hand, helping her out of the car. I eyed her two door vehicle for a moment.

"What?" Bella asked, noticing my perusal of her car.

"We're going to need to get a different car."

"So, automatically, it's _my_ car that has to go?" she said, giving me a pointed look.

Crap. Bella is in a testy mood today. I glanced at her swollen ankles as she climbed out of the car. She was uncomfortable, at the very least. Looking at my watch I saw that we still had a couple of hours before we had to leave for our appointment.

"I didn't say that, Bella. The idea just came to me." I smiled at her trying to break through her sudden anger. "Wouldn't it be easier dealing with two car seats if we had a car with four doors?"

Bella mumbled something about me being an know-it-all ass as she climbed the porch steps. I guess I would wait to bring it up another time.

I followed her inside and steered her towards the recliner.

"Sit down and put your feet up, baby." I guided her into the chair and pushed it back to recline. I pulled her shoes off and kissed the tops of her feet.

"Would you like some tea or water?" I asked as I stood up.

"Do we have anymore of that raspberry iced tea?" she asked in a huff.

"I think so. Close your eyes and rest for a little while and I'll bring it to you."

I found her tea and poured it over some ice. After grabbing a straw, I walked back out to the living room.

Bella was already asleep, snoring softly and looking utterly exhausted. Last week, I brought up the idea that she back off on her hours at the museum and she wouldn't hear of it. I may have to speak to her doctor if she doesn't listen to reason.

I let Bella rest and went to get myself ready. I woke her up with an hour to shower and dress, then got online to look at SUVs and mini vans while she was occupied.

Bella's car was older than mine, so it only made sense that we trade hers in to get something new. But, if she protested, I'd trade mine instead.

I felt her hands glide over my back and come to rest on my shoulders when she came up behind me. I had just clicked off the SUV site and was about to close my laptop.

"What were you looking at?" she asked casually.

"Cars, SUVs." I replied.

"Hmpf." she sighed.

I turned in the swivel desk chair and pulled her into my lap.

"Are you okay?" I asked. I began to massage her lower back, hoping to soothe her.

"Sure. As long as you weren't looking at porn." she shrugged.

"What?" The shock of her statement made it come out harsher than I had intended.

"I guess I wouldn't blame you. I'm getting so huge. I feel like a blimp."

"Bella." I turned her chin so I could look her in the eye. "Yes, you are getting big." I pressed a finger to her lips when she began to complain. "You're carrying our children, Bella. I don't see you the same way that you see yourself. You are not fat. You are gorgeous and sexy and all mine. I love you so much, even more so when you are all big and grumpy, because of this." I rubbed my hand over her belly.

Bella's eyes closed and she leaned her head against mine. I kissed her nose and waited for her to open her eyes again. When she did, I smiled at her before playfully chastising her.

"So knock that shit off, okay?" At the very least, I got a smile out of her.

"I'm sorry. Some days I just can't help it."

"I know. It's okay baby." I kissed her soft lips lightly. "Now, we need to go." I gave her thigh a gentle smack.

…

"Have a seat." Dr. Templeton smiled as he sat behind his desk. He flipped open Bella's chart and looked over what I assumed were the reports for the tests she just had.

"How does everything look?" I prompted him as Bella's fingers nervously knotted together.

"It looks like Bella is borderline for gestational diabetes. As we discussed before the test, this isn't necessarily serious right now. We need to address a few things, but I'll come back to that.

"As for the ultrasound, you've lost some amniotic fluid." he held his hand up as Bella began to speak. "I know all of this worries you, but let me finish. I have a solution that, if followed properly, should allow you to carry to term."

The doctor paused for a moment to look at his file. "You are at 29 weeks and I think that from here on out, you should be on bed rest."

"Bed rest?" Bella repeated.

"What exactly does that entail?" I asked him.

"At this point, I don't believe that _strict_ bed rest is required. However, this means that I don't want you to exert yourself, _at all_." he stressed. "There will be a letter for you to give to your employer; you're off until approximately six weeks after the babies are born. While on bed rest, you can get yourself a sandwich, but no lifting, no stairs, no prolonged walking around, no baths..." he trailed off, waiting to see if we understood him.

I looked over at Bella, who was squeezing the shit out of my hand. She definitely did not look happy about this new development.

"Is there anything to be worried about?" I asked.

"I don't believe so. This is a precaution. A pre-emptive strike, if you will. With Bella's back problems, the fluid loss and her being borderline GD, I just don't want to take any chances." he explained. "The bed rest should help all of these issues."

Bella sighed and nodded her head, looking a little more at ease.

"I would like you to follow a better diet. That involves the proper amount of food from all of the food groups, eaten at regular intervals. Some of my patients have complained that it is too much food, but I'd like you to try."

"My nurse will have an information packet for you that contains tips on things you can buy to make your bed rest more comfortable, some simple exercises that you can do, as well as nutritional information and the diet plan." Dr. Templeton closed Bella's file folder. "Any questions?"

"What about sex?" Bella asked.

"Sex of the babies, or sex in general?" he smirked.

Bella looked at me. We had discussed whether or not we wanted to know, and we both agreed that we did.

"Both." we spoke at the same time.

He pulled out the ultrasound pictures. "This big guy here is your son." he handed Bella the picture. "And in this one, you can see your daughter." This one he gave to me.

Bella and I stared at the images in our hands, holding tightly to each other's free one. We exchanged pictures and stared again.

He gave us measurements and approximate weights of the twins as we looked at our babies.

Once we composed ourselves, I asked about actual sex.

"No penetration, at least not until your next appointment where we'll check your fluid again." Dr. Templeton rose from his chair. "If there are no further questions?" We both shook our heads 'no'. "Call me anytime." he smiled before leaving.

We stopped to pick up the info packet, along with a letter for her to be off work from the museum. I led Bella out to the car and got her seated inside. She hadn't said much since we left Templeton's office.

"Are you alright?" I gently asked.

"Yes." she sighed. "I'm just wondering how long it will take for me to go crazy." Bella chuckled. I took that as a good sign.

"We'll work it out." I patted Bella's thigh before starting the engine.

Bella called Alice as I looked over the packet we were given. I quickly formulated a plan and pulled out of the parking lot and headed for home.

"Comfortable?" I asked. I had Bella propped up on the couch with a warm blanket, the TV remote and a cup of herbal tea.

"Yes." she smiled up at me. "Where are you going to sit?" she asked, pulling her legs up.

"Nope." I pulled them back across the cushions. "I'm going out shopping. I want you to just sit there and relax."

"Oh." Bella eyed me carefully for a moment. "Can you get me the baby book and a pen before you leave?"

"I'll get you anything you want." I stroked her cheek with the tip of my finger before running up the stairs to get what she wanted.

Two hours and three stores later, I had found the body pillow that was suggested. I picked up some magazines and made a quick trip into the grocery store, making sure to get a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Bella was pretty good about what she ate; her cravings had subsided a little and she only indulged them when it was a really strong urge. I had my doubts that she would be able to eat everything that was suggested, but for her health and the health of our babies, I was going to try.

I walked in the front door to find Bella laughing as she spoke to someone on the phone.

"Edward just got home. I'll talk to you later, okay Mom?" she said, throwing me a pretty smile.

"You didn't have to hang up." I told her, setting some bags down in the chair.

"What did you buy, Edward?" Bella asked, lifting her head to peek over the tops of the bags.

I stepped out the door to pick up the pillow that I left on the porch.

"Ta-da!" I exclaimed, holding the pillow up for her to see.

Bella held out her hands for it. The goofy smile on her face made my search for it worthwhile.

"Thank you!" Bella hugged the pillow to her. "What else did you get?"

"I bought you some magazines," I pulled them from one of the bags and handed them to her. "and some food." I poked around in the bag. "How does a chef salad sound?"

When Bella didn't answer me, I turned to look at her and found her staring at me with watery eyes.

"Baby, what's wrong?" I asked, kneeling next to her spot on the couch.

"Nothing is wrong." she said quietly. Her hand cupped the side of my face. "You are so good to me."

"Your comfort and happiness is important to me." I shrugged. "I love you."

"I love you." Bella leaned forward to kiss my lips. I kissed her back, letting her know just how serious I was about what I said.

"A chef salad sounds great." she said as she pulled away.

BPOV

"Why are there cranberries and grapes in my salad?" I asked as Edward sat down with his own plate of greens.

"It's part of the diet plan. You need to eat a full serving of fruit with every meal." he responded matter-of-factly.

"Let me see this diet plan."

Edward dug through the papers he had placed on the coffee table and handed me what I asked for.

I looked over the suggestions for each meal. "What is this? A Hobbit's Diet?" I laughed.

"Huh?" Edward asked with a mouthful of boiled egg.

"Pre-breakfast, breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, mid-afternoon snack, dinner, after dinner snack." I said, reading down the list. "There is no way I can eat all that." I tossed the papers aside.

"What does that have to do with a Hobbit?"

"_That_ is what you got from that?" I shook my head. "In the first Lord of the Rings movie, the hobbits talked about all the meals they'd miss." I looked at Edward and saw that he had no reference to what I was talking about. "Never mind."

"You don't have to eat all of that, Bella. You just need to try."

"Perhaps if I wasn't on bed rest, I'd have a better chance."

"Well, you are on bed rest, and you do need to try. Gestational diabetes normally goes away after the birth, but it could have lasting damage to you and the babies."

His words hit me hard and I couldn't stop the tears that formed, then ran down my cheeks. Edward was out of his seat in a heartbeat and at my side.

"Oh baby, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound harsh." he said, stroking my hair.

"I didn't say that I wouldn't try, Edward." I sniffled. "I'm going to do whatever the doctor tells me to do. All I want is for our babies to be healthy."

"I know that Bella." he sighed. "And I know that all this came as a surprise. It won't be easy, but I'll do whatever I can to help you through it."

"I can't even go upstairs to our bed." I wailed, crying into my new pillow.

"Sweetheart, I will carry you up the stairs." Edward assured me.

That made me cry even harder. Once I finished my crying jag, I poked around in my salad a little longer, but had lost any appetite that I had. I read through all the paperwork we had been given, noting that I could get up and walk around.

"What are you doing?" Edward jumped out of his chair when I picked up his empty plate, along with mine.

"Stretching my legs." I turned and went into the kitchen.

I threw out the remnants of my dinner and rinsed our plates before putting them in the dishwasher.

I turned to leave the kitchen and found Edward leaning against the entryway, watching me.

"I'm not doing anything illegal." I defended. "The doctor said that I could walk around a little. You can't expect me to doing nothing but sit, Edward."

"I just don't want you to over do it."

"I promise that I won't, Edward." I said, grazing his arm with my fingers. "I am going to do everything that I was told to do."

Edward wrapped his arms around me, pressing his fingers into my lower back, just how I liked it. I groaned and let my head fall forward against his chest.

"I am ready for bed, if you'd like to carry me." I smiled up at him. He was trying so hard to help me, I could see that plain as day. If I couldn't see that before, then everything that he did do today cemented that fact.

"Your wish," He swept me up in his arms, then kissed me softly, "my command."

Edward left me in the bathroom to perform my nightly rituals, then tucked me into bed.

"I just have a couple of things to do, then I will join you." he said, brushing my forehead with his lips.

"Not too long." I sighed, feeling suddenly exhausted. I wrapped a leg across my new body pillow and immediately felt the ease in my lower back and hips.

I woke after being in bed for six hours, but felt completely unrested. I had strange dreams all night long it seemed, though I couldn't remember anything about them.

Having to pee really badly, I tried not to jostle the bed too much as I got up. Edward was sleeping peacefully next to me, and I had no idea what time he came to bed. I was out like a light after he left me.

I climbed back into bed and used Edward for my leg prop rather than the pillow. He was so warm, it was easy to feel sleepy again laying next to him. I breathed him in deeply; he must have showered before coming to bed. His lightly scented body wash and his natural smell enveloped me as he turned and put his arm across my body.

Sometimes, it was just the simplest of things that made me realize how lucky I was. This man loved me. He was smart and beautiful and so caring. He gave me everything just by being here, allowing me to be me. I loved him thoroughly and completely. So much, that I thought my heart would burst with it.

I hugged his arm tightly and kissed his bicep before closing my eyes again.

When I woke again, I was alone, but heard voices coming from downstairs. After using the bathroom, again, I walked to the landing. I knew that I wasn't supposed to use the stairs, but it seemed like such a simple thing.

I took a tentative step down onto the first riser then stopped. I had promised Edward that I would follow the doctor's orders.

"Edward?" I called. It didn't take him but a few seconds to arrive at the bottom of the steps.

"You waited." he smiled, seeming rather proud of me. Edward picked me up and carefully descended the stairs, placing me on my feet at the bottom.

"Alice, what are you doing here?" I pulled her into a hug.

"I called a little while ago and spoke to your man here," she pointed at Edward. "since he has a patient coming soon, I offered to come by and keep you company. I don't have to be at the museum until noon."

"I have breakfast ready. Are you hungry?" Edward placed his hand on my back, guiding me to the kitchen.

"I think that my life has become all about food." I grumbled to Alice. Edward kissed the top of my head and went out to meet his patient. I stared at the table where he had my breakfast laid out.

There was a plate of scrambled eggs, whole grain toast, a bowl of fruit, juice, water and my prenatal vitamin for the day.

"I completely understand, Bella." Alice patted my hand. "It's difficult for people who haven't been pregnant to get it. Heck, I've never had to do bed rest." she shrugged. "The important thing is not to dwell on it."

Alice produced a bag, sitting it on an empty chair. "I've brought you books, crossword puzzles and some trashy gossip magazines to help you pass the time." she laughed.

"Where is Grace?" I asked.

"I dropped her off with Rose at the daycare center."

"So we have time to watch a movie?" I said, suddenly excited. Alice and I didn't get many opportunities for us to just hang out.

"Beaches!" we yelled at the same time.

I scarfed down my eggs and toast then took my vitamin. I got up, bringing my bowl of fruit with me, and made myself comfy on the couch. Alice was still searching for the DVD.

"Found it!" My phone began to ring as she waved the movie above her head.

"Hold on a sec, it's Jake." I told Alice. "Hello?" I answered.

"Hey Bella-bee, whatcha' doing?"

"Alice is here and we're about to watch Beaches."

"Isn't it kind of early for a tearjerker?" he laughed.

"She has to be to work at noon." I explained.

"If you can wait five minutes, I'll join you."

I may have let out a squeal.

"I heard from a little birdie that you are on an extended vacation until the bambinos are born. I was on my way over to keep you company." he admitted.

And that is how I spent the next few weeks. Between Alice, Jake, Seth and my mom-and Edward, of course-I was rarely alone for long. Rosalie even stopped by a few times.

I loved everyone for doing what they could to help occupy my time, but I found that I also cherished my alone time. I worked on the baby book, learning more about Edward along the way. I added the funny stories from his childhood under the 'Daddy's History' section.

"So, the chocolate milk sprayed out of your nose and all over your father?" I asked, making sure that I understood the story right.

Edward was telling me about the time he dropped the f-bomb in front of his parents.

"I had heard some of the football players saying it in the hall at school. I was only twelve." he defended.

"Twelve is old enough to know better, Edward." I chuckled.

"True, but it just slipped out." he laughed, making me laugh even harder.

I yawned loudly, wiped out from a day of non stop visitors.

"I think someone is ready for bed." Edward said quietly.

"Yeah, I am. I really hope that no one is coming over tomorrow." I said around another yawn. "I do appreciate the company, but I could use a break."

"I'll make some calls tomorrow and tell everyone to stay away until this weekend."

We were having a little party to celebrate the 'grand opening' of Corrine's Hope. Well, the party was going to be here, but other people were responsible for the food and drink. I suppose that being on bed rest did have some perks.

I got to attend the party, but not lift a finger with all the preparation. That was a win, right now, in my book.

"You aren't going to be able to keep this up much longer, sweetie." I told Edward as he carried me up the stairs.

While he would never complain, I could tell that he was straining as he went up the stairs.

"I'll buy a bed for the living room, if I have to." he said as he set me down at the top.

We both got into bed and Edward situated himself around me, since it was easier for him now that I was the size of a baby whale.

"Kiss me." I said, looking up into his eyes. It was almost a plea rather than a request.

Edward had been so good to me since I had to go on bed rest. But he had also kept everything very platonic, doing no more than giving me chaste kisses. I needed more from him.

"I don't want to hurt you, Bella." Edward said, barely above a whisper. His gaze burned through me as he spoke.

"I'm not asking you to break the doctor's rules, Edward. Just kiss me."

His lips glided gently against mine, warm and soft. I had to have more than that, though. Winding my fingers in his hair, I pulled him closer to me and heard a quiet moan escape him.

"Bella," he whispered against my lips before really kissing me. I felt his tongue sweep over my lips, making me gasp and open to him.

Edward's hand found it's way under my nightgown, his fingers leaving a burning trail over my skin as he continued to kiss me. His lips left mine and went to my jaw, then my neck.

He gently pressed himself closer and I relished the contact of skin on skin. He did not pull away from me as his kisses slowed, but I knew that he would do no more, not tonight.

"We should talk about names." I suggested, instead of pressing him for more.

Edward continued to stroke my skin as we talked. It was hard to concentrate when his fingers ghosted over my rib cage.

We came up with a short list of names for our babies and went to sleep still wrapped up around each other. I knew it wouldn't last long, but it was a nice way to fall asleep, being surrounded by the man that made my life complete.

…

"Oh Bella, you poor thing." Esme crooned when she walked in the house. I was perched in the middle of the adjustable bed that Edward had rented for us.

There really was no other choice. He couldn't keep carrying me up and down the stairs and I was getting frustrated with the couch. This bed made things much easier, though my living room looked like a nursing home.

Edward had pushed most of the furniture against the walls and set up a table near my side so I could have a place for all of my distraction material. I had more books and magazines than the local library.

"Just take all that right upstairs." she instructed her son and husband. They had just came in, both loaded down with boxes.

"What is all that?" I asked her.

"Things for the nursery." she smiled, sitting next to me.

She and I had become email buddies and had Skype discussions over decorating the nursery. With the amount of boxes that were coming through the door, I had to wonder if she bought way more than we had agreed upon.

"I want to see." I complained.

Esme went upstairs and came back a few minutes later with an armful of bedding. I got tears in my eyes imagining my babies wrapped up in the softly colored ark animals.

"When it is all finished, you'll get to see." she put an arm around me and hugged me, kissing the top of my head.

...

There was a whirlwind of activity in the kitchen. Rosalie had helped Edward organize his grand opening party. She hired a local caterer to make and serve appetizers and coordinated with Tanya to send out invitations.

It was scheduled from one to four for the general public, then after, we were having a party just for family and friends.

They expected professionals from all the local hospitals to stop by and see the therapy center, along with anyone else who was interested. Jake and Seth had plastered flyers around town announcing the open house.

We had a great turnout with lots of positive feedback. Edward made connections that held the promise of future referrals for patients and even had some inquiring about being sponsors.

We celebrated a very successful day with our loved ones, but it wiped me out and I was in my bed early. Everyone congregated in the living room, squeezing in where ever there was space. We played a few rounds of Pictionary until I could no longer keep my eyes open, even with the hyper children screeching around me.

"I think we've wore her out." I heard someone say through the cloud of sleep that covered me.

Very soon, all was quiet and I felt the bed dip. A warm body was suddenly next to me, along with plump, soft lips on my forehead. I breathed a contented sigh and let the sleep take me completely.

* * *

**A/N: Bella's diet plan was similar to the one I was put on when I was borderline GD. There was no way I could eat everything on that list.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. 18 should post by the end of the week and 19 will be the last regular chapter. **


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: I hope you all had a pleasant Turkey day and didn't get trampled on Black Friday. All your reviews & alerts brighten my day and encourage me so much-Thank you! **

**SM owns all  
**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

Walk

Chapter 18

EPOV

Our grand opening/open house was a great success. I had a list of volunteers and three new sponsors. I could see right away that I was going to need an assistant. Tanya stepped up to fill the bill temporarily.

"I've coordinated the volunteers with the appointments that you have." she handed me a plain manila file folder. "I also set this up on your computer. You should get a separate one for the business, though-not use your personal laptop." she advised.

"I also took the liberty of applying for a corporate credit card. You'll need that to purchase things in the future. You need to make a clean line between personal purchases and business ones."

"Of course." I responded, looking over the schedule. "Thank you Tanya. I appreciate everything you've done."

"Sure thing, boss." she smiled.

"You're in a good mood." I observed.

"James and Katrina will be here in a few hours. We're going to a carnival."

The woman practically squealed.

"You guys are getting on well, then."

"He's the one, Edward." Tanya's face fell slightly.

"Why does that make you sad?" I asked.

"Do you really want to hear this?" she asked with a smile.

"Sure. I consider both of you friends." I explained.

"He lives in Colorado and I live here. I just don't know how we'll make it work. Long distance relationships haven't' worked out well for me in the past."

"Well, I assume you talk a lot?" Tanya nodded in response. "Just be honest with each other. Don't assume things." I said, offering my advice.

"You've had a long distance relationship?"

"No. But I think it's standard fare for any relationship. If you have trust and a solid foundation, it should be able to withstand most anything as long as you stay honest."

Tanya smiled then threw herself around me, hugging me quickly. "Thanks, boss." she said, stepping away. "I need to make a couple of calls before I leave." Tanya turned to go back in the house to the office. "Tell Bella that I said 'hi'."

"I will."

I went into the barn to prepare for a new patient that was coming today. I heard a vehicle pull in and saw Renee stepping out of her Pathfinder and went out to meet her.

"Did you get it?" I asked when we reached each other.

"It's in the cargo area." she thumbed over her shoulder. Renee looked as excited as I was. "How are we going to get it inside?" she asked.

"One of us needs to distract her."

We formulated a quick plan and went in to see Bella.

"Hey baby girl, how you holding up?" Renee asked Bella.

"Hi, Mom." Bella's smile was forced.

"What's wrong, hon?" I asked, walking to her bedside.

"I can't get comfortable." she huffed and threw an oddly shaped pillow off the bed. "None of these pillows are helping. At all." Bella looked close to tears.

"Why didn't you text me?"

Since I had to be out of the house and she wasn't supposed to be moving around unnecessarily, we resorted to texting when I wasn't inside with her.

"You were busy with Tanya. I didn't want to interrupt." she sighed.

I had Bella's bed situated so she had a clear view out the window into the side yard. Though the view into the corral wasn't unhindered, she could still watch me with the kids. It made her feel better that she could see me.

"Turn onto your side," I guided her so that she was facing away from the stairs and gave Renee a look. She nodded in understanding.

I got behind Bella and began working on her back, kneading the knots out.

"God, Edward. Your fingers..." she moaned as I hit an especially sensitive spot. "I'm so glad you're a physical therapist." I chuckled and kept rubbing as Renee slipped out the front door to get the last piece of furniture for the attic.

After I got Bella comfortable, I left her in her mother's care and went out to wait for my patient.

Sally was ten and recovering from post traumatic stress that was incurred from a car accident, much like Katrina. While her condition didn't fall under the physical therapy umbrella, this was a rehabilitation facility and her parents were desperate for anything that could help, so I agreed to give it a try.

"This is Gidget." I introduced her to Bella's horse.

"She has spots." the little girl observed.

"Do you want to touch them?" I asked.

Sally looked at me with her big blue eyes and shook her head.

"When you decide that you want to, let me know, okay?"

"Okay." she answered.

"Why don't we just walk her around for now?" I offered. "You can help me with the reins."

Sally grabbed a hold of the leather straps just below my hand and began to walk with me.

"Do you have any pets at home?" I asked, trying to engage her.

I knew from the interview with her parents that she did, in fact, have a cat and two dogs at home. It wasn't long before she was telling me all about them.

After an hour of walking and feeding Gidget some carrots, Sally's parents pulled in and sat in the gallery area. She tugged at the hem of my shirt.

"Dr. Cullen, can I touch her spots now?" she asked quietly.

"Sure." I knelt down to her level, running my hand over Gidget's flanks as I went. I took Sally's hand and directed her to a spot at eye level. She smiled and I let go, allowing her to feel where she pleased.

"Thank you." she whispered and ran off to her parents.

After speaking to them for a few minutes, I told Sally that I would see her next week and took Gidget back to the barn. I fed everyone a treat and went in to see how Bella was doing.

I was reminded about our vehicle situation as I passed by our parked cars on my way to the house. I'd need to get that taken care of soon, along with a regular assistant to take over my duties, if need be. My patients were important, but nothing was more important than my family. When our babies were born, I planned on helping as much as possible.

Bella's composure was dwindling, and I can't say as I blame her. She's been on bed rest for just over a month and she is going bat shit crazy. She is uncomfortable most of the time and bored beyond belief.

We had just had another ultrasound and everything looked good. Her fluid levels are right where they should be and I know that she thought it would mean she would be taken off bed rest. I could tell by the look in her eyes. Dr. Templeton only said to keep doing what we were doing, though. That meant another month to six weeks with our living room looking like a nursing home, as Bella liked to refer to it.

"Edward, do you have some time?" Bella asked me, looking slightly nervous. She fiddled with the edge of her blanket while she stared at me with her big brown eyes.

"I do. I just finished up with Sally and was planning on spending the rest of the afternoon with you." I sidled up next to her, placing a loud smacking kiss on her cheek.

Bella laughed, wiping at her face.

"What's up?" I asked.

"I think we should talk about what is going to happen once the babies are here."

"What do you see happening?" I was tip-toeing my way through this until I found out what exactly was on her mind. Not as a deception, but Bella was easily irritated these days, and I didn't want to find my ass in a sling before I even knew what was going on.

"Two babies are going to be a lot of work." she started.

"Yes," I nodded.

"And, while I truly love my job, I don't want our children raised by other people."

"I agree with you, but what is it you're suggesting?"

"How much would it bother you if I didn't work?" Bella's eye brows stitched together as she asked about what was on her mind.

"Bella, you can do whatever you feel comfortable with."

"That doesn't answer my question, Edward." she huffed.

"Bella, if you would rather stay home with our kids than work, I will totally support that." I smiled and stroked her thigh.

"So, you're saying that it wouldn't bother you?"

"Not at all. I won't go as far to say that I think your place is here, raising our kids, but I rather like the idea of you staying home. You can always go back to work once they're older."

We sat in silence for a few minutes, each contemplating what we discussed.

"I have an idea." I said, thinking over the words I would use.

"What?" she eyed me warily.

"Now, if you don't want to do this, just tell me. It won't hurt my feelings if you don't want to do it." I specified. Bella began chewing her lower lip, as she often did when nervous.

"Would you like to help _me?" _I asked.

"How? What would I do?" Bella looked utterly confused.

"I need an administrative assistant. Basically, what Tanya is doing right now. For one, she is only filling in until I can find someone, and I think there is a possibility that she'll move to Colorado."

"Why? Did she get a job offer?"

"James is in Colorado."

"Oh. _Oh._" she chuckled. "They're getting that close, eh?"

"Yeah." I smiled. "But, you could handle all the office type stuff and maybe help me out with the kids every now and then." I shrugged. Secretly, I was hoping that she really wanted to do this.

"What if I get on your nerves?"

"Bella, really?" I scoffed.

"It happens, Edward. Even with the closest of couples."

"And there won't be enough to keep us BOTH occupied, if that does happen? We'll have two babies, the farm, the business, our families..." I was counting off the list on my fingers. I brought one up and tapped Bella's nose. "I think it will work out just fine."

"What if I want to go back to the museum, or somewhere else once the kids get older? Will you be upset?"

"Bella, are you trying to come up with reasons not to accept?" I asked her honestly.

"No, I'm just trying to cover all the bases." she shrugged, looking sad again.

"Sweetheart, we are in this together. Anything else that comes up, whether it's our jobs or anything else, we will handle together. As long as you are at my side, we can conquer anything."

"Really?" she asked, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Yes, really woman." I sighed with a smirk. I leaned my head to hers and planted a kiss on her lips. "Maybe you should agree to marry me and then I can order you around." I laughed.

Thankfully, Bella's mood wasn't as low as I thought it was. She smacked my shoulder then laughed at me.

"Marrying you will not mean that you can order me around, Edward. If anything, it'll be the opposite. Besides, one major decision per day. I just decided to work with you, so the quota is filled." She poked a sharp finger into my ribs, making me squeal like a girl.

And totally deflecting my proposal, again.

"There is something else." Bella's fingers were stroking through my hair. Every now and then, her nails would gently scrape my scalp, making me purr like a kitten.

"Hmm. What's that?" I asked. My eyes were closed as I relaxed under her hand.

"Uh...never mind." she said quietly. I picked my head up to look at her. Bella was staring at her lap, looking sad again.

"Sweetheart, you can say anything to me. What's wrong?"

"I miss you." she finally said after minutes of silence.

It was my turn to look confused. I spent as much time as I could with her. We watched movies, played games, I even read to her.

A blush formed across her cheeks and she broke our gaze.

"Bella, if you don't tell me..." I trailed off.

_Oh,_ I thought to myself. _She's talking about sex._

"Bella, the doctor said that we can't. As much as I want to, you and the babies are too important to take the risk."

Bella pursed her lips tightly as her eyes watered up.

_Goddammit. You need to fix this, Edward._

"Well, actually, now that I think about it," I said, sneaking my hand under the blanket, "he said no penetration."

"It's okay, Edward." Bella looked embarrassed, trying to turn away from me.

"No, it isn't. I've been so wrapped up in doing what the doctor told us to do, I forgot about what you needed." I eased Bella down from her propped up position.

The expression on Bella's face was skeptical.

"Do you think that I don't want you?" I asked, bringing her hand down to my hardening cock, which twitched as soon as she touched it. I raised my eyebrows at her, just begging her to deny it.

Bella got a smirky smile on her face and her eyes finally lit up.

Since there was only so much I could do, I began slowly. Pulling her panties off, I ran my fingers back up her legs, almost to where she wanted my attention.

Her eyes fluttered closed and she sighed as her fingers resumed their spot in my hair.

Moving her leg, I let my tongue linger behind her knee, then switched to the other one, spreading her legs in the process.

"I love the taste of your skin." I mumbled, paying homage to her. I gripped the outside of her thighs, squeezing gently as I worked my way up.

My name whispered off her lips, fueling my own desire for her. Even though I wanted to fuck her with my cock,_ badly_, knowing that it was off limits made it easy to push aside.

Instead, I brushed over her wet lips with a finger, then my tongue, relishing the shudder that emanated from her body.

I felt Bella's fingers crawl down my shoulders and back as she tried to pull me towards her. I looked up from between her legs and saw her looking at me with heavily lidded eyes.

"Come here," she whispered.

When I reached her face, she pulled me down by my neck and began kissing me.

"You don't like my tongue, baby?" I mumbled against her neck when we came up for air.

"Oh hell yes. I do. But I need you here, kissing me, just like this."

I went in for more as my finger started swirling around in her wetness. I made sure that I didn't go past the tip of my finger, but I couldn't not give her something.

Swirl, dip, then back to circle her clit. I pressed my erection against her thigh, looking for my own friction. I felt her hand at my zipper, so I stopped for a moment to free the beast for her.

"Mmmm," she hummed as her hand wrapped around my cock.

"You like that Bella? How hard I am for you?" I panted, sucking her lip into my mouth.

"Yesss." she moaned, tightening her hold as she stroked my length.

Bella's breathing became labored, her body shuddering under my touch. Her hand moved faster, keeping time with my fingers.

"That's it, baby. Give it to me." I encouraged her along. I knew that she loved it when I talked to her. Even better when it was dirty.

"Cum all over my hand, Bella." I rumbled. My head was buried in her neck, nipping at her tender flesh.

"Edward..." I loved hearing my name fall from her lips.

Bella's hold on my cock faltered as her orgasm began to overtake her. I shoved my other hand down over hers and continued jacking my cock. I was close, too and couldn't stop.

"Ohmygod," Bella said, "that is so hot, Edward."

I gently bit down on her skin and felt her body tense as she came. A few strokes later, and I joined in her blissful state.

"I love you, Edward. Thank you." she kissed the top of my head.

"Love you," I said trying to catch my breath, "too." I finished with a sigh. "I won't neglect you anymore." I chuckled.

"Good." I felt her lips curl in a smile.

After we recovered, I kissed my babies through her stomach then carried her upstairs to shower while I changed the sheets.

BPOV

Edward was up to something. And he had helpers, helping him be secretive. I noticed people going upstairs without showing me what they had. I knew that, on more than one occasion, I was deliberately distracted so his mission could be carried out. I didn't want to spoil anything for him, so when I got out of the shower, I made sure he was still downstairs and I peeked into the nursery.

After taking a good look around, I didn't see anything out of place nor did I see anything that I hadn't picked out. While I wasn't physically involved with getting the nursery arranged, Edward and I had chosen everything together.

"Maybe all this bed rest is making me nuts." I muttered to myself before going back to our room to dry my hair.

I really tried to stay positive, but I hated being treated like an invalid. It was a catch-22 any way you looked at it. I was determined to bring my children into this world healthy, so I would not deviate from the doctor's orders, but at the same time, I wanted to clean my house and go down the steps on my own.

I reminded myself that it wouldn't be much longer. It really was a short time in the scheme of things. I remember what my mom said to me when I complained to her the last time she was here.

"One day very soon, you're going to wish you could be on bed rest."

She laughed and so did I, but honestly, I had no idea what it was going to be like. I had babysat some when I was younger and I watched Alice's kids every now and then. I had never spent more than a couple of hours at a time with an infant, though.

I read everything I could get my hands on about being a new mother. I was excited, nervous, scared...all at the same time.

"Edward?" I called out loudly. The babies were beginning to move and he loved feeling it. Most of the time he wasn't around when they were active.

"What?" he said, feigning anger as he climbed up to me.

"Feel." I pulled my robe open and grabbed his hand, placing it where I last felt a kick.

Edward was sitting on the top riser, his head just inches away from my belly. His large hand covered a good portion of it and he raised the other to cover the other side. When one of his hands got kicked, he smiled up at me and quickly put his face where his hand was.

"Daddy can feel you." he cooed. I swear this man can turn me into a puddle in an instant. He had no idea how sweet, heartwarming and sexy it was for me to see him like this.

"Daddy loves you." he said, kissing all over my exposed belly. Once the babies settled down, Edward lifted me in his arms, grunting quietly.

"I'm sorry." I told him.

"Shoosh, woman!" he said, kissing my cheek.

"What do you want for dinner?" Edward asked after he set me at the edge of the bed.

"I'd love Chinese, but that's out."

"MSG." we said in unison.

"How about I throw together some stir fry? I bet I could find some egg rolls that don't have MSG." he offered.

"I don't want to wait while you forage at the grocery stores. Do we have ingredients for beef and broccoli? I know we have rice."

Edward disappeared for a few minutes then returned smiling.

"Yes, we have beef and broccoli, Miss. Would you care for anything else?" he said in a silly English accent.

"Tea would be great. And I can't find the remote." I said looking under the pillows.

Edward found the remote then ran off to make dinner while I flipped through the channels. When the TV is one of your only forms of entertainment, there sure isn't much on.

"Now if I had to go to work, there would be ten things that I'd want to watch." I mumbled.

I turned off the TV and grabbed the laptop off my table. I had discovered fanfiction and brought up a story that I had been wanting to read.

"Your tea, Milady." Edward said, keeping up the accent. "Herbal, hot, with a light squeeze of lemon."

"You're too good to me," I laughed.

"Nonsense. You deserve the very best."

Edward finished in the kitchen and we ate our homemade beef and broccoli while I read him some slightly racy fanfiction.

…

The next day when Tanya arrived, Edward brought her inside so we could talk. He had already spoken to her about me taking over as his administrative assistant.

"Bella, I think this is a great idea. You two are so good together." she smiled. I admired her shiny blonde hair, her expressive blue eyes and her trim figure.

_I wonder if I'll get mine back?_

While I liked the woman well enough, I couldn't not think about that night when she had her hands all over Edward. She never gave me any reason to mistreat her though, so I didn't. I filed my feelings about that away under 'hormonal pregnancy issues', and left it at that.

"I don't want to push you aside, Tanya." It wasn't my intention to just take over what she had accomplished.

"You aren't, Bella, really. I was only doing this as a favor. I wanted to help, but with my own responsibilities, I'm stretching myself pretty thin."

She proceeded to show me what programs she had set up as well as other options I could choose to utilize if I didn't like them.

"I don't really have any administrative experience." I confided.

"You won't have any problems. The business is new and you're practically starting at ground level." Tanya assured me. "I've set everything up so you can clearly see what you need to keep records of, as well as a checklist of things you'll need to stay on top of." She clicked on a file, showing me exactly what she spoke about. "If you ever have any questions, you can call me anytime. I'd be happy to help."

"So, Edward tells me that you and James are getting serious." After awhile, I felt comfortable enough to talk girl talk with her.

"We are." she sighed dreamily.

"I'm happy for you. How is Katrina doing?"

"Some days it's two steps forward and three back. Other times, she seems much better. Over all though, I think she is improving. The most animated she gets is when she talks about the time she spent here, with you guys and Edward's father. He made a huge impression on her."

"Really? That is so great." I said.

"Did you know that he sends her emails? He's actually written little stories for her including illustrations." The look I saw on Tanya's face looked like any other mother that I knew, who was touched by something someone did for their kids. That made me genuinely happy for her. I hoped that she and James would work out, if for nothing else, his daughter's sake. Katrina deserved that and more.

…

We attended birthing classes a little later than most moms-to-be do, because of my bed rest. Dr. Templeton said that he wanted me to wait until he was sure that my fluid levels stabilized.

Walking into that room on Edward's arm was a treat. All the female eyes were glued to him. I knew that he was a beautiful man, but I appreciated the beauty inside so much more after a few classes. Some of the other men there were impatient, insensitive jerks.

"You are going to be such a good father." I mused one night on our way home.

"Because I know how to diaper a doll?" he laughed.

"No, though you did that pretty well." I patted his knee. "I know because of all the questions you asked. I looked around at the other men when you asked about burping a baby on your knee. They all looked dumbfounded. You really think about this stuff, Edward."

"That doesn't mean that they won't make good fathers, Bella."

"Oh, I know. I didn't mean to imply that. It just occurred to me that you are very thoughtful about all of this. That makes me both thankful and proud."

"Thank you, sweetheart." he said as we stopped at the red light. He leaned over and gave me a lingering kiss to my cheek.

"You will be a terrific mother."

The look in his eyes filled me with hope that I would be.

…

I had finally acquiesced, and we were now in our new Volvo SUV. I had to admit that it was much nicer than my old car, though it wasn't as easy to get into. It had lots of creature comforts and two back doors for easy access to the babies, once they were here.

I had yet to drive our new car, but I was happily investigating by pressing some of the many buttons. I talked Edward into stopping by the drive-thru taco place on our way to the doctor.

"Just one taco. That's all I want. I've been very good Edward."

He knew that I had, seeing he made most of my meals for the past six weeks.

I happily munched on my extra spicy taco as we drove the rest of the way to the OB's office.

My appointments were every week now, and our babies looked perfectly healthy. I think that is why I was shocked when my doctor approached us about a C-section.

"I know that a lot of women carrying twins end up having one, but do you really think it will be necessary for us?" I asked.

"No, not at this point. You need to know that it is a possibility, though. If the babies turn and drop, you can give birth naturally. However, sometimes with multiples, they run out of room and it doesn't happen."

The doctor made some notes on my file, then looked back at us.

"How are the Braxton-Hicks?"

The first time I had false labor, it freaked me out. I called the doctor right away, knowing it was much too soon for me to be in labor.

"Fine. It's only happened a couple other times, and both were relatively short."

"Good. You're at thirty-seven weeks now, so it could be anytime."

I walked out of the office feeling anxious, excited and nervous. I was _so_ ready to have these babies, but at the same time-I was slightly scared. All the mothers in my life had different stories, but all of them had ended positively. The prevalent advice seemed to be for me not to get worked up about the whole thing. I had to have faith that everything would be alright.

The next ten days passed without incident, and I was beginning to climb the walls. I all but begged for Edward to let me go with him to run some errands. When I promised to stay in the car, he agreed.

The only problem with sitting in parking lots, I saw moms and dads wrangling their kids of varying ages. I started getting nervous, my mind racing over the fact that our babies would be with us soon, and I would be those parents.

"Where is my bag?" I asked Edward when we walked in the front door. During the drive home, I had been mentally running down the checklist for when the time came to go to the hospital.

"It's right here." Edward opened the coat closet and I saw my packed bag sitting on the floor.

"You need to remember to charge your phone every night." I said absently, already moving on to the next thing.

"Bella, I'm ready. I have everything ready. You need to relax." He smoothed his hand over my back.

"No, I need to make sure that everything is in order." I said, the exasperation leaking out in my voice.

Edward sighed and plopped down in the chair. I moved around the house, keeping to the first floor, mumbling to myself in an attempt to stop the endless loop my brain was circling.

The dirty dishes in the sink spoke to me, so I began filling it with hot, soapy water.

"Baby, what are you doing?" Edward asked sweetly.

"You have a college degree, Edward. What does it look like I'm doing?"

Yeah, that wasn't called for. I knew that I was being pissy. I couldn't stop it, though.

"What I meant was, _why_ are you doing them? I could have just put them in the dishwasher." I could tell that I was testing his patience with my attitude.

"I need something to do. I'll sit down when I finish with these. Promise."

"Okay. I'm going out to the barn for a few minutes. Don't do anything else." Edward kissed the side of my head and headed for the back door.

"Wait!" I suddenly said. "Did the crib sheets get washed and put back on the mattress?"

"Yes, Bella." Edward sighed.

"Okay." I said, going back to my dishes.

I made a few pit stops on my way to the bed, straightening magazines, fluffing couch pillows and wiping at some dust on the book shelf.

Just as I sat down, I had to get back up to use the bathroom. I didn't know why I was so fidgety. I felt off balance and this intense need to be productive.

After peeing an amount that did not equal the pressure I had felt just moments before, I headed back to bed. If Edward caught me up and busy when he got back in, I'd be in for it.

I sat back against the pillows and felt a rush of wetness. Between my legs.

"Edward?!" I called out, just in case I missed hearing him come in.

I frantically looked around for my phone when my eyes zeroed in on my purse on the table by the door. Determined to get to it, I scooted myself off the bed. All of a sudden, my purse seemed much farther away.

The pain wasn't excruciating, but it felt like my insides were trying to come out. I ended up on all fours on the floor next to the bed. Hanging my head down, I tried to remember the breathing technique we learned. Just then, I heard the back door slam against the jamb.

"Edward." I panted.

"Babe, did you say something?" he called from the kitchen.

"Edward." I said a little louder.

"Bella?" Edward's voice was closer now.

"Here. Floor." I said, feebly waving a hand awkwardly over my head.

"Holy shit!" he scrambled over to me.

"Water broke." I pointed to the bed and looked up at him.

"Fuck. I just changed those sheets." he said, frowning at the soiled sheets.

Clearly, the man was in a slight state of shock.

"Edward. The babies? We need to get to the hospital."

Edward stared at me like I grew another head. Actually, I was about to grow _two_ more heads right here, if he didn't get his ass moving.

"Edward!" I said sternly, getting his attention. "Get me off the floor and to the car."

He snapped out of it and helped me up. Edward whisked me into his arms and quickly got me out to the car.

"I'll be right back." he said, after buckling me in. Seconds later, he was back out the door, tossing my bag over the top of his seat before starting the engine.

The contractions were about ten minutes apart, so I was able to make a couple of calls on our way to the hospital.

I finally reached my parents, after trying a few times and getting a busy signal.

"Mom? Edward and I are on the way to the hospital." I paused while she yelled to my father. I had to wait for them to both calm down before speaking again.

"We're leaving now." Dad hollered so I could hear him.

"Okay." I panted, feeling another contraction coming on. "See you there."

"Don't have those babies without us!" my mom cried just before I hung up.

"Trying, mom." I mumbled, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

* * *

**A/N: Please leave me your thoughts-I love receiving them! The next chapter will be the last regular chapter-for those of you who didn't know. Thanks so much for reading! xoxox**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: This is it. The final chapter. I'm going to save my big speech til the end. **

**SM owns the characters, I own the plot.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Walk

Chapter 19

EPOV

We were stopped at the third fucking red light we'd come to. I strummed my fingers on the steering wheel anxiously while I waited for the doctor to pick up. Being after hours, I left a message with his answering service that we were on our way to the hospital.

"How ya doing, baby?" I asked, giving Bella's hand a squeeze.

"I'm fine. The contractions seemed to have slowed up some."

"Uh...I'm sorry I kind of freaked out on you earlier."

"You kinda did, didn't you?" Bella laughed at me.

"I saw you on the floor and my mind went blank." I explained.

"Hmm, yeah." she mused. "Sorry about the sheets." she snickered.

"The sheets?" I questioned. What the hell did sheets have to do with anything?

"That was what you said. I quote...'Fuck. I just changed those sheets.'" Bella deadpanned.

"Christ, Bella. I'm so sorry."

"I'm not going to hold it against you." Bella lifted my hand to her lips and kissed my fingers.

The kiss turned to squeezing as another contraction hit her.

"Are we almost there?" she hissed in pain.

"Just about."

Three more blocks, and I pulled into the emergency parking area and stopped at the entrance of the hospital. An orderly saw me getting Bella out of the car and met us with a wheelchair.

"We're about to have a baby." I announced to the nurse who walked around her desk to attend to us.

"I can see that. Who is your doctor?"

"Clarence Templeton. I already called his service." I told her.

"Ah, yes. Dr. Templeton just called and is on his way. Fill this out please while I get your wife situated." she said, handing me the admission papers.

"We aren't married." I grumbled, taking the clipboard.

I hastily filled out the forms and quickly followed after Bella, who was being wheeled towards the elevators.

Bella grabbed my hand. She hadn't made a sound since we entered the hospital.

The nurse brought us to a birthing suite and I helped Bella to sit on the side of the bed.

"Hello there." A nurse walked in just as the other one left with the wheelchair. "My name is Martha, and I will be with you until your babies are here." The older woman had a pleasant smile for us.

"Is my doctor here yet?" Bella asked.

"Not yet, dear. I'll get a message when he arrives." she patted Bella's arm. "We need to get you into this little beauty." Martha held up a gown that was adorned with baby ducks.

Martha continued to get Bella ready. She got her into the bed and hooked up to a fetal monitor and an IV drip.

"Are we having an epidural?" she asked happily.

"Yes." Bella answered emphatically.

I stepped towards the corner of the room to call my parents. I doubted that they would be able to get here before the birth, but I at least wanted them to know what was going on.

Renee and Charlie showed up soon after Bella was settled. The nurse had us step out while she gave Bella a routine check of her nether regions.

"Nervous?" Charlie asked with a chuckle.

"Extremely." I replied. He clapped me on the back and smiled.

Renee rushed back into the room when the nurse opened the door.

"Well?" she asked.

"I'm only dilated two centimeters." Bella said, her voice full of disappointment.

"Right now, we just have to wait." Martha said. "Bella should rest as much as possible. She's going to need it."

"There isn't anything I can do?" I asked, looking back and forth between her and Bella.

"Make some calls if you need to. Otherwise, just help her through her contractions. I'll be back shortly to check on you."

When I went for coffee, I made three phone calls to let our friends know what was happening.

Jasper and Emmett wanted to come up, but given that the time was nine-thirty, their kids were asleep and they couldn't really leave. Besides, there was no way of knowing when the babies would actually arrive. I assured them both that coming by in the morning would be good enough.

I also called Jake. I think that he was moving out the door before we even ended the call.

By the time two AM rolled around, I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open. The doctor had shown up around ten and checked Bella, saying that he would be back to check on her if he didn't hear anything.

Bella's moan brought me out of my sleep. She gripped my hand tightly.

"Edward..." she groaned.

Bella's forehead was damp and her hair was sticking to her face.

"Baby, you should have woke me when they started." I said, standing from my chair. I stroked her hair away from her face and loosened her hold on my hand. I squeezed out a cloth from a basin that sat on the table near her bed.

"How does that feel?" I asked, wiping it over her sweaty brow.

"How would you feel if someone was ripping your insides out through your ass?" she snarled.

If she wasn't in so much pain, I would have laughed at her.

"I'm sorry." she immediately said.

"It's okay, sweetheart. I'm going to call your nurse."

Martha came in and checked her, announcing that she was now dilated to four centimeters.

Bella's contractions were now eight minutes apart, and seemed to be more intense than when they started.

"Hee-hee-whooo, hee-hee-who." I did my best to coach her through the breathing techniques.

Renee and Jake stood on the other side of Bella, trying to comfort her.

"I don't know if I can do this." Bella suddenly said.

"You don't have much choice, Bella." her mother observed with a smirk.

"You should have thought of that nine months ago." Jake laughed.

"No, that's not what I mean." Bella looked up at me in expectation.

"What?" I asked. "What is it?"

"Mom, Jake, can you give us some privacy?"

Renee nodded. She and Jake left the room, joining Charlie in the hall.

"Bella, what is it?" I pleaded. Was she having seconds thoughts about us? What is it that she can't do?

"Ohhhh." she cried out with another contraction. Bella's upper body lifted off the bed.

Martha came back and checked her again, telling us that she would call the epidural team when Bella reached five centimeters. We waited for her to check the monitor, making notations on Bella's chart.

"Edward." Bella said as soon as Martha cleared the door.

"Yes?"

"I need to marry you."

I smiled and kissed her gently. "That's good to know, sweetheart."

"Ahhh. Another one." she panted, her face contorting with the pain.

"Breathe, baby." I stroked her back in circular motions.

"No, Edward. Now. Right now." she inhaled a deep breath. "Before the babies get here."

"Are you serious?" I asked, thinking that she was not.

Bella grabbed my shirt and yanked me down to her level.

"Right. Now." I felt her breath hit my face.

"Holy shit." I muttered, standing back up.

"Please Edward. Make it happen. I don't want to have our babies without being married to you."

"Bella, it's nearly four AM. And we don't have a license."

"What, you don't want to marry me now?!" she asked, her voice cracking as her eyes welled up with tears.

"Of course I do, baby." I kissed her forehead. "Let me see what I can do."

"Okay." she sniffled.

"Babe, you have to let go of my hand." I shook our joined hands gently.

"Oh." Bella smiled up at me. "Hurry, Edward."

I opened the door to see Jake, Renee and Charlie sitting in a row of chairs outside Bella's room.

"I need someone to go back in there with Bella."

"Of course." Renee stood up. "What's going on Edward?"

"Well," I drug a hand through my hair, "Bella wants us to be married before the babies are born."

"Huh?" Jake responded.

"How in the hell are you supposed to manage that?" Charlie asked.

"Beats the hell outta me."

"There is a hospital chaplain. Go down to the first floor, I think the offices are there." Renee suggested before going in to Bella.

I turned, walking towards the elevators, Jake falling in step with me.

"So Belly-bee just up and said you had to get married?"

"Pretty much." I laughed, wondering how I was supposed to make this happen in such a short time.

We rode the elevator down the the first floor and followed the signs to the chapel and chaplains office.

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. A moment later, it was opened by a nervous looking young man.

"Yes?" he asked.

"This is crazy, but, can you marry people?" I asked, unsure if a chaplain had the authority.

"Yes." The man looked confused.

"My girlfriend is about to give birth to our twins and she has finally decided to marry me." I paused. "Only, she wants it done before the babies arrive."

"I've never officiated a marriage before." he gulped.

"But you can, right?" Jake pressed him.

"Y-yes." he replied nervously, pushing his glasses up his long nose.

"What do we need to do to make it happen?" I asked.

"Do you have a license?" he asked.

"No."

"I can marry you, but it won't be legal. You'll have to do it again once you get the license."

"Good enough." I smiled. "How soon can we do this?"

The man looked at his watch. "Give me ten minutes and I'll come to you. What room are you in?"

I told him Bella's room number and went back to wait on an elevator with Jake.

Just as we were about to board, Jake pulled me back from the doors. "Wait!" he said loudly, then ran off towards the lobby.

"Damnit! The gift shop is closed." he sighed.

"I don't want a wedding gift from a hospital gift shop, Jake."

"Not for you." Jake groaned. "Flowers, for Bella. Every bride needs flowers."

"Oh."

Somehow, I didn't think the flowers were all that important.

"Go on up, I'll be there in a jif." he said, slapping my shoulder and taking off.

"Should we call anyone?" I said to myself as I rode the elevator up to Bella's floor. I decided that our friends would want to know, so I called them, oblivious to the fact that is was nearly five AM now.

"'ello?" Jasper's sleep ridden voice answered.

"Hey bud, Bella and I are getting married."

"What? I thought you were at the hospital?"

"She said she wants to get married before the babies are born."

"Well, damn, Edward." Jasper sighed.

"I know."

"Let me talk to Allie and I'll call you right back."

Next I called Emmett, relaying the same information to him. I got back to Bella just in time to hear her curse.

"Fuck!" she yelled. "What in the hell are you using?"

I stepped through the door as the nurse was covering Bella's lower half.

"Just my hand, dear." Martha was very good at placating Bella.

"Edward." Bella sighed in relief as I took her hand. Charlie stepped back, allowing me full access to her.

"The chaplain is on his way." I said as my phone rang.

"Hey, can you wait til we get there?" Jasper asked. "We're driving over to Rose's daycare and coming up to you afterwards."

"How long do we have?" I asked Martha.

"Bella is progressing right along. If it stays on track, she'll be in active labor within thirty minutes." she shrugged. "It isn't an exact science, Mr. Cullen."

"We'll be there in less than ten." Jasper said, hearing the nurse's response.

"Everyone is on their way here, Bella." I told her, after pocketing my phone.

"I'm sorry I waited so long." she sniffled.

I laughed lightly at her, giving her a peck on her lips.

"Why are you laughing at me?" she whined.

"Baby, your emotions are all over the place. You're giving me whiplash." I kissed her again. "And I don't think you're funny, I just find it entertaining and sweet."

"I'm happy that I can amuse you." she growled before another contraction hit.

Approximately ten minutes later, I received a text from Emmett informing me that they were here and on their way up.

The chaplain came in and began asking us questions about what we wanted for the ceremony.

"Just the standard wording, except no 'obeying' or 'man and wife'." Bella amended. "I want husband and wife."

"Excuse us, you all are going to have to step out for a moment. We need to start the epidural." Martha stated.

Everyone filed out and I heard Emmett's voice as the others met them in the hallway.

I held onto Bella's hand as she endured the needle being administered to her back.

"It won't take any time at all for this to take affect." The new nurse told Bella. "Now we will have to watch the monitor for your contractions."

They waited until another one hit, showing us what to look for. Martha gave Bella another look-see before heading out.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road." Jake said when Martha opened the door.

He produced a bouquet of flowers from behind his back. "Ta-da!" he exclaimed.

"Where did you get those?" Bella asked, the tears developing again.

"I have my ways." he replied as his eye brows danced up and down.

"We need..." Bella gritted out, "to hurry." I glanced at the paper the monitor was spitting out and sure enough, the contractions were getting closer together.

"Where _did_ you get those?" I asked Jake when I pulled him aside.

"Don't tell Bella, but I snatched them from somebody's room down on the second floor."

Everyone came into the room, standing in a semi-circle around the bed. Alice and Rose both still wore their pajamas. This crowd was definitely a sight.

"Wait! I'm here." Seth said, squeezing his way in next to Jake. "Okay." he smiled, waving his hands for the chaplain to continue.

"My name is George. Forgive me as I stumble my way through this." the chaplain said, addressing the room. "This is my first week out of seminary school and my first wedding."

"Dearly beloved," he started, clearing his throat, "we are gathered here in this...er...here with Isabella and Edward as they join together as man...um...rather, as husband and wife."

The chaplain was interrupted by another contraction.

"Keep going!" Bella hissed. The chaplain frantically looked for his place in his book.

"Uh, do you Isabella, take Edward as your husband? Promising to love, honor and cherish Edward, as long as you both live?" he said, speaking quickly.

"I do!" she yelped. "Wait! We don't have rings!" Bella cried.

"Baby, I'll get you a ring as soon as I can, okay?" I smoothed my hand over her forehead. "Anything you want."

"Here." Jake handed me a large, thick, silver ring. "Use this for now."

Poor George, he looked even more flustered.

"A-and do you Edward, take Isabella as your wife? To love, honor and cherish Isabella, as long as you both live?" he asked, wiping at his brow.

I took just a moment, because that is all that I had. I looked down at my beautiful bride and slipped the oversized ring onto her finger. "I promise to love, honor and cherish you from now until eternity's end."

Bella smiled up at me, squeezing my hand.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

Our first wedded kiss was cut short by a contraction and Dr. Templeton coming into the room.

"Just in time!" he smiled. "Congratulations. Now, everyone but Dad needs to scoot. We're about to have some babies."

Martha ushered everyone out of the room while the doctor washed and put on his gloves. Two more nurses joined us, bringing in some equipment with them.

Bella was checked one last time; Dr. Templeton confirming that she was fully dilated and effaced.

"It's time to push, Bella." he instructed. Bella shoved the ring onto her thumb, where it fit better, then nodded that she was ready.

I stood at the front, next to Bella, waiting for instructions.

"Now Bella, when I tell you to push, give it everything you've got. We'll count off to ten then you can stop."

"Dad, you ready?" he asked me.

"Ready." I smiled. My babies were coming, I was more than ready.

"Get ready... Now. Push Bella."

With my help, Bella sat up and pushed with all her might, grunting and groaning as she did.

I did what I could, whispering my love and encouragement while wiping her face with a cool cloth. My hand would never be the same again, but I opted not to say anything about it.

I'm not sure how she did it, but Bella pushed for close to an hour before the head of baby number one appeared.

"Okay, you're going to want to push, but DO NOT." the doctor said.

He fiddled around for a minute down there between my wife's legs. I smiled like a fool at that thought.

My wife.

"Dad, do you want to see the head."

I left Bella's side momentarily for a peek. All I saw was matted hair covered in gook. But that was_ my_ baby covered in gook and I loved it.

"Let's get the shoulders out. Give me a big push, Bella." Dr. Templeton instructed.

Bella grabbed her knees and pulled herself forward, pushing and groaning. I stood helpless at her side; all I could do was offer my encouragement.

With a huge sigh, Bella fell back against the raised bed. Everything was silent; you could've heard a pin drop. Bella and I kept our eyes glued to each other.

The wonderful sound of a wailing newborn broke the quiet. Bella lit up with a beautiful smile and I left her side to see my child. Our child.

"Meet your son, Edward." Dr. Templeton said, wiping the boy's face. He wrapped him quickly in a cloth and handed him to me.

I only had a few moments with him. I brought him up to Bella and saw that she had tears, just like I did. I leaned down to her level and we both kissed his head. I could already see what a strong boy he was. I felt my heart fill with pride. The nurse took him at that point, claiming that she would give him back soon.

"Take some deep breaths, Bella. Round two is about to start."

Bella pushed when told to but I could see that her strength was declining. She was just about spent.

"I need another push, Bella. Harder this time." the doctor had an urgent tone to his voice.

"I can't." she panted. Her eyes began to lose focus.

"You have to, Bella." The doctor gave me a stern look.

Without thinking it through, I pulled Bella forward and got in behind her, threading our fingers together as our hands rested on her legs.

"C'mon baby, let's get our daughter out." I whispered in her ear.

Bella pushed while I supported her. My fingers were probably going to be permanently damaged, but I held fast.

"You can do it, baby. She's almost here."

"Stop. Rest for a moment while I turn her." Dr. Templeton said.

I kissed on the side of Bella's head, whispering my love for her.

"Okay, almost done. Give me one final push so you can meet your daughter."

"Edward." Bella said faintly.

I sat forward, pushing Bella up into position. She gave it everything she had with a final groan.

Our daughter's cries filled the room immediately, unlike her brother who thought he'd up the suspense factor by waiting a few moments.

Bella's legs fell to the side and the doctor stood up, showing us the squirming little girl.

Bella held out her arms for her and she was brought to us. Even matted with goo, she was the prettiest little thing I'd ever seen.

When she was taken away to be cleaned and weighed, Bella rested against me. She was sweaty and exhausted and more beautiful than I'd ever seen her.

"You did it." I said, kissing her damp forehead.

"_We_ did it, Daddy." Bella squeezed my thighs then unlocked our fingers.

I had lost feeling in them and had to shake my hands for a few minutes to get the blood flowing again.

The doctor finished up with the placenta and said that Bella needed a couple stitches from a small tear. When he was done, a nurse cleaned Bella up and I helped her off the bed.

We went over to the table where our children laid. Both were stretching and squirming, testing their limbs.

"Your son weighs six pounds, two ounces and is eighteen inches long." the nurse smiled, handing him to Bella. He had a full head of hair that looked damn close to the color of mine. He resembled my father in the nose and chin areas, though.

"And your daughter weighs in at five pounds, eight ounces and is seventeen inches long."

I gladly accepted my daughter from her, smiling down and the wriggling bundle. Our little girl was blessed with my hair, as well. Reddish brown in color and sticking up everywhere. I could already see that she had her mother's cute nose and the same curve to her upper lip.

Not long after Bella's bedding was changed and she was settled back in, I accompanied our children to the nursery for the additional things they did with newborns.

They were poked and prodded and I was assured that everything they were doing to my babies was standard procedure. They brought a roller out and used it to apply the ink for the foot prints to be stamped on the birth certificates.

Both babies were diapered and swaddled and had cute little knitted caps put on their tiny heads.

I heard a light tapping on the glass and looked to see our whole family standing there. I smiled and pointed down at my babies. Everyone had tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces. I only afforded them a few looks because I could barely keep my eyes off our beautiful children.

When we got back to the room, Bella was dozing but woke when she heard the bassinets being wheeled in. A different nurse came in carrying tiny bottles of formula and a box full of supplies.

She helped Bella get the babies to latch on. The boy had no problem with that part. He was a natural. Our daughter didn't take to it so easily, though.

"That is what the bottles are for. It's difficult to only nurse two babies at the same time, so you'll want to supplement both with formula." the nurse explained.

"Once your milk comes in, you can express it then store it for later use."

I held our daughter and tried to get her to take the bottle. After a few tries, she finally got it and happily sucked away. I was in awe of her little face and the noises she was making.

I sat on the side of the bed to watch Bella and our son. His little fists were pressed against her breast as he nursed. I couldn't decide which one was more precious.

We heard a knock on the door and saw some friendly faces peering in.

"Can we come in?" Charlie asked, looking over the twins from the doorway.

"Yes," Bella smiled, "come in!"

Everyone gathered around us, just itching to get their hands on the babies.

"Wash your hands and you can hold them." I said, eyeing them all.

I heard the door open and saw my parents walk in.

"You made it." I smiled. My cheeks were hurting I had been smiling so much.

"Is everyone okay?" mom asked.

"Everyone is perfect." Bella answered.

"Before any of you get your hot little hands on our kids, let us introduce them."

"This is Lucas Edward Cullen." Bella said proudly, holding him up for everyone to see.

"And this little sweetheart is Lily Corrine Cullen." I said.

I heard Renee give a small gasp and saw the appreciation for their lost daughter in Charlie's eyes.

"Oh..." Renee said, clasping her hands to her face.

I handed over my daughter to Charlie first, thinking that he deserved the honor.

...

Bella was allowed to go home the following morning. I had Renee and my mother get there ahead of us to make sure that everything was in order.

Charlie met us in the driveway and helped bring the kids in. Upon meeting him and his intimidating mustache, I never thought I'd see him turn into a doting, baby-talking grandpa.

My heart couldn't swell much more before it burst. Between Charlie, Renee and my own parents, our kids were going to be spoiled beyond belief. The love they all showed the twins was a sight to behold indeed.

"Edward, I can climb the stairs now." Bella protested when I scooped her into my arms. Charlie was behind me with Lucas and my dad had Lily. They stayed a few steps behind us, giving me this moment with Bella.

"Where are you going?" she asked when I passed right by the nursery and started up the attic steps.

"You'll see." I said, kissing her soft, inviting lips. "Close your eyes."

I stepped into the attic and stopped. "Okay. Open your eyes."

"Edward..." Bella gasped. "What...?" she struggled to get down from my arms.

"Surprise." I said quietly, watching as she took it all in.

Renee and my mother had helped me purchase and decorate the attic space, making it a master suite.

A queen sized bed took center stage, tastefully adorned with a chocolate brown comforter with light, geometric shapes on it in creams and blues. Our bedside tables were in place, along with the small lamps. The whole gang came over and moved the rest of our bedroom up here before Bella was released.

The hardest part to get done without Bella finding out was the bathroom that Emmett had installed. We got most of that done while Bella was still working. It wasn't large, but it had a tub and shower, a sink and commode.

Off to the side of our bed sat the large bassinet. Renee had attached netting to the wall and made it so it draped around the little bed. She had a changing table a small dresser placed next to it.

Bella walked over to the rocking chair I bought as a surprise. She ran her hand over the arm appreciatively.

"Oh, Edward." Bella said, turning to me. "This is perfect!"

"I knew you wouldn't want the babies to be a whole floor away from us yet." I said softly.

"I think Daddy would have a problem with it, as well." she winked.

"You really like it?" I asked, gazing into her eyes.

"I love it. I love you for doing this."

The clearing of throats tore our lips from each other, making me chuckle.

Charlie and my dad were standing in the doorway and one of the twins was starting to fuss.

Everyone came up to see. Hugs and kisses were had by all and before I knew it, we were all alone.

Just me and Bella and our kids.

That is when it hit me. I would never be alone again.

Bella excused herself to the new bathroom and I propped up on my arm, lying across the bed.

Lily and Lucas were lying in front of me all bundled up. I unwrapped them so I could just look at them.

Bella came back, catching me as I cooed and stroked my finger over each of the babies.

I looked up at her only to see a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Bella?"

"This is the most precious site." she sighed.

"C'mon." I sat up and held out my hand.

Bella sat next to me, against the headboard and I handed Lucas to her. I grabbed the bottles we brought from the hospital and we got the kids fed and changed.

It took us both a few minutes to walk away from the sleeping children, nestled in their bassinet. For now, they were small enough to both fit in it together.

"Baby, you're exhausted. Let's go to bed."

Bella didn't put up much of an argument and was fast asleep not long after her head hit the pillow. I carefully got up and moved the rocker as close to the bassinet as possible.

I had no idea where the path would take me when I started on my journey to a new life. I never, in a thousand years, thought it would be here. I had gotten a second chance to have everything that I thought I had lost forever.

I glanced over to my beautiful wife, then back to my sleeping children and allowed myself to feel the weight of what I had.

This was priceless; this was timeless.

If I lost everything else, save the beings I had here in this room, I would still be the luckiest man alive.

* * *

**A/N: Aaand, that's it. **

**Please forgive any mistakes with the birthing process. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this final chapter, though.**

**I want to thank everyone for reading, rec'ing, alerting, reviewing...you all humble me and I so appreciate every one of you. **

**I especially want to thank my friends. Friend doesn't seem like an appropriate word for these ladies, they are so much more than mere friends.**

**Euphoria9-many of you know her on FB-she is my bestie, my sister, my rock most of the time. I love her dearly and she has helped me many times with this fic.**

**TheQueenWriter-my other bestie. She pulls me back from the ledge and cheers me on. She has helped me with this story many, many times, as well. She is a fabulous writer and I've learned a lot from her. Love you!**

**The epilogue for Walk will post before Christmas.**

**I do have a final rec for you. Hoodfabulous is a new author and I've become hooked on her fic, Breakaway Bella. Go check her out and leave some love for her.**

**Put me on alert, if you like. I have two more projects in the works. My collab with my good friend, TheQueenWriter, and my own new fic, a CEOward.**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: This is not a test...It's actually done. I hope it was worth the wait. **

**3/26/13**

Walk

Epilogue

You've heard that saying, 'It takes a village to raise a child'? I never really understood it until recently. We have a huge extended family and we all chip in to help when needed.

My wife, Bella, is pregnant for the second time with our third child. Our third _biological_ child. We have two adopted children in addition to Lily and Lucas.

Mary and Phillip came to us quite unexpectedly. We weren't looking to adopt, but as soon as the situation presented itself, if just felt right.

Mary is five and has a prosthetic leg starting at mid thigh. She and her mother were in a house fire when Mary was three; her mother did not survive and Mary was in the burn unit for two months. I met her on a consult at the hospital when she received her new leg. I fell in love with her determination and happy, positive demeanor. She bounced around foster homes because few people want to adopt a disabled child. When I introduced Bella and Mary, they bonded immediately.

Phillip's story was even sadder. His mother was an addict when she was pregnant with him, and after his father died of an overdose a few years after Phillip was born, she sunk even deeper, becoming physically abusive towards the child. He had been pulled from her care by the authorities time after time, only to end up back with his mother after she had displayed good behavior for a period of time.

We'd been fostering him for two weeks before his mother came pounding on our door in the middle of the night. How she got out of jail, I don't know; this is the problem with the system, people slip through the cracks everyday.

We woke up to this woman screaming and beating on the front door, demanding that we hand over her child.

Bella stayed with the children, while I called the police and removed the crazy woman from my front porch.

After she was picked up, I went back in to find Phillip clinging to Bella while she soothed and comforted him. I made a silent promise that he would never have to go back to that woman.

So, now three years after the birth of our twins, our little family has grown. Two toddlers, a five year old and a ten year old. Oh, and one more on the way.

We were happily surprised when my parents moved here shortly after we adopted Mary last year. My mother left her store in the capable hands of her manager saying that she could always open another store here if her grand children weren't keeping her busy enough. She goes back to Santa Fe at least once a month to check in on things, though.

My father said that he can write anywhere but added that he gets more inspiration being around the kids. He's already published one book after being here and is working on his next. Dad has started a new series that revolves around disabled kids and therapy animals. Go figure.

They, of course, have offered to watch the kids anytime, though we've tried our best not to take advantage of them. Mom and Dad bought a house about a half-mile down the road from us; the kids could walk there, if they wanted.

Phillip has blossomed since coming to us. His anxiety and anger issues are still evident, but we have him in therapy, both with a psychologist and with me. He has really made a connection with my father. The two of them can talk for hours and have become best buddies. He hasn't been able to call Bella and I 'mom' or 'dad', which is completely understandable, but he does call my dad Pops and my mom Nana.

Little Mary had no problem referring to us as Momma and Daddy. She was so starved for affection; she just melded right into our family.

Both kids are benefiting from the horse therapy. As Mary grows, her prosthetic leg changes, causing some discomfort and an adjustment period. The horses help her to exercise it, plus I think it's an added benefit just being around them, giving purpose and teaching responsibility.

Phillip helps with the care of the animals. His time spent with them is its own therapy. He and Zeus have even bonded, which is something I did not expect.

…

On this particular sunny spring day, we were getting ready for a party.

"Thanks for picking this up, Em." I remarked, pointing at the bed of his truck. It was full of folding tables and chairs. Our home had gotten a lot smaller now that six people lived inside it. There was no way we could have everyone over _and _inside.

"We just need to have them back by Monday or the kids in the art class will be sitting on the floor!" Emmett cackled.

"Less talk, more work!" Alice hollered, then laughed when she couldn't keep a straight face. "They'll be here in an hour."

With Jasper's help, we had everything unloaded quickly.

Once the tables were set up, Alice and her kids covered them in pink plastic table covers. Everyone else began trucking the food and gifts out to their designated spots.

Lily approached me carrying her Furby that my _wonderful_ parents got her for Christmas. They were thoughtful enough to get one for Lucas and Mary, as well. _Thanks._

"When can we eat, Daddy?" Lily asked in her cute three-year-old voice. "Maxie is hungree." She wiggled the toy at me.

"Go ask Uncle Emmett." I replied, throwing my friend under a bus.

Emmett had a fear of Furbys. This big, strong guy was reduced to a quivering mess when in the presence of one.

I watched as Lily tugged at Emmett's shorts to get his attention. He turned to look down at her and jumped a foot in the air when the thing in her hand decided to come to life and speak.

"Are you responsible for that?" Bella asked as she settled on my lap. I wrapped my arms around her swollen belly, pulling her back to rest against my chest.

"I couldn't resist." I laughed as I watched Emmett try to get away from my daughter.

Emmett caught me laughing and flipped me the bird when he was sure that there weren't any none of the kids were watching him.

Bella plucked her phone from the back pocket of her shorts when it chimed. Given the time, I guessed that it was Renee and her five minute warning.

The plan was for Jake and Seth to come here before heading home. They had no idea about the party but I knew they would love it; neither of them ever turned down a party of any kind.

"Five minutes!" Bella yelled across the yard. "All kids, over here!" Bella rose off my lap and walked behind the bunkhouse. The ten children scrambled after her and squatted down to hide.

Jake and Seth had been trying to adopt for two years, getting shut down by many backwards-thinking establishments. Someone put in touch with a lawyer who had some connections in Haiti.

They had flown down there immediately, meeting the birth mother's parents. Sadly, she had died while giving birth and her mother and father barely had the means to support themselves and their two children who were still living with them.

They approved Jake and Seth's grant for adoption after meeting them for the first time. The two decided to pay the owed funeral costs for their child's mother, as well as a token for the family.

They had been down in Haiti for a month getting all the paperwork taken care of. Red tape is a constant, no matter where in the world you are.

Now, they were on their way here, having just arrived in the U.S. with their new daughter.

Everyone got into their hiding places, waiting for Charlie's big Tahoe Suburban to pull into the driveway. All the children were giggling and antsy. Lucas and Phillip made a mad dash across the yard to stand with me behind the big bush at the corner of the house.

"Hey Edward," Phillip loudly whispered, "won't they notice all the cars?"

"Probably." I muttered, roughing his blonde hair.

"Not much of a surprise then, is it?" he snorted.

I pulled him into a headlock but the arrival of our guests saved him from any more of my playful tormenting.

We waited until everyone had gotten out of the vehicle before making our presence known. It was agreed that we wouldn't jump out and scream 'surprise', so instead, we all just walked into the driveway after the group passed us and stopped at the tables.

Jake and Seth turned around to find us all smiling at them.

"Can I see da baby, Momma?" Lily asked, pulling at Bella's shirt.

"What the hell is all this?" Jake laughed.

Four of the kids started tsking right away at Jake's language.

"Well, for one, it's an opportunity to give you this." Bella walked over to the table that held some brightly wrapped gifts. She picked up an overly decorated, clear glass jar and handed it to Jake. The label read 'Cuss Jar'.

He hugged her close before placing his bundle on the table. He and Seth blocked our view for a moment, and then turned to face us.

"Everyone, we'd like to introduce you to Lydia Clearwater-Black."

Seth cradled their baby girl in his arms, turning slightly so we could all get a good look. The tiny thing had a mess of shiny black hair and a sweet, chubby face. Every one of us held teary smiles.

We took turns holding Lydia until she became fussy. I scooped her up from Bella then handed the screaming child off to one of her fathers.

"This is all you." I chuckled. Jake's face shown with pure joy.

The celebration of Miss Lydia's induction to our little family didn't last too long. After a few hours, everyone was ready to call it a day. Bella's ankles were swollen and most of the children were cranky and tired.

After a quick clean up, Emmett said he'd come by the following day to load up the borrowed tables and chairs.

Bella and I took our brood inside to get them ready for bed. We bathed them, read to them and tucked the three younger ones into bed.

I knocked on Phillip's door, opening it after he mumbled something that sounded like 'come in'.

Bella walked in before me and sat next to the boy on his bed. Phillip's legs were crossed underneath him; he was looking down at his interlaced fingers that sat in his lap.

"Everything alright?" I ask, pulling out the chair to his desk to sit.

He sighed heavily and muttered under his breath. He was obviously struggling with something. Often, he had to voice things to himself out loud, in order to make sense of what he was trying to say.

"Take your time, sweetheart." Bella stroked his hair.

He lifted his head and glanced at us both before blowing another deep breath out.

"I...uh...," he stammered. Phillip's eyes squeezed together tightly for a moment. "I was wondering something." he finally got out.

"Go ahead." I encouraged.

"So, the last time we went to court..." he continued, "my, uh...mother...she can't try to take me again, right?" He bit his lower lip nervously.

Bella's eyes shot to mine, her face contorted in worry. I gently shook my head.

"Phillip." I said, getting him to look at me. "Are you having second thoughts about wanting to see your mother?" I was treading lightly here, not entirely sure what his concerns were.

"No!" he shouted, shaking his head. "Not at all. I mean, I know that somewhere, deep down she probably loves me. But, I know she has a lot of problems and, well...I don't know." Phillip stumbled over his words. "Maybe someday, when I grow up, I might want to see her." He shrugged, his eyes brimming with tears.

"Phillip, you know that we won't ever try to stop you from seeing your mother. She will always be your mother." Bella consoled him. "As long as she is well and presents no danger to you." she added.

Phillip nodded, wiping his nose on his sleeve. Bella got up to grab him a tissue.

"Your mother can not come back and try to take you and the adoption is final." I replied. "But, Bella is right. If you ever want to see her, we'll do our best to make it happen." _In a controlled, supervised environment,_ I added internally.

He sniffled and nodded. His psychologist warned us about the guilt he might feel about the situation and advised us to just be honest and supportive with him.

"So, what is the problem then, son?" I asked after he blew his nose.

"I was, uh...wondering if I could, uh..." he drew a deep breath, "callyoumomanddad." His words ran together as he anxiously spoke.

Even though he mumbled and rushed the words together, Bella and I understood him loud and clear. She grabbed him into a hug as tears ran down her pretty face.

"Only if you want to. You know that it doesn't matter to us what you call us. We love you regardless." she reassured him.

"I'd really like it." he said quietly.

Bella looked up at me from where she still held Phillip. The smile she wore was threatening to split her face. Lily chose that time to call out for mommy.

"I love you, Phillip. It would make me very happy if you called me mom." She kissed his hair then got up to tend to our youngest daughter.

Phillip glanced up at me shyly. I moved over to the spot that Bella vacated, leaning forward with my arms on my knees.

"I already think of you as my son, Phillip. I would be honored if you wanted to call me dad."

He looked up at me, then threw his arms around my shoulders. I pulled my arms up and wrapped them around my boy.

"Don't ever be afraid to talk to me about anything. It doesn't matter whether it's about your biological parents or girls, whatever."

He pulled away from me, his face screwing up in disgust. "Girls?" he whined. "Edw...er, Dad, that is just gross." he laughed.

"One day you won't think that way, I promise. And if you decide that you like boys instead, well...there's always your Uncles Jake and Seth." I chuckled.

"There is this one girl." he admitted as he blushed profusely. "Her name is Chrissy."

We discussed the inner workings of the female mind until Phillip was yawning.

"Goodnight, son." I stood in his doorway, illuminated by the hall light.

"'Night, Dad." he smiled.

I quietly made my way down the hall, looking for my wife. Peeking into the twins' room, they were both fast asleep. A dim light shone through the slight opening of Mary's room. I poked my face in and saw that she was snuggled up with her bear.

I climbed the stairs to our room and found my Bella sleeping, curled around a pillow. I sat on the edge of the bed, lightly caressing her belly. We opted to not find out the sex of this baby. We already had two boys and two girls, so we thought we would let this one be a surprise.

I left her sleeping and went down to make sure that we were locked up and that all the lights were off.

This time of night, when everyone is sleeping and the house is quiet...it's one of my favorite hours.

I grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat in the dark kitchen, looking out at the moonlit corral.

So much has happened in the past few years.

Our hasty marriage, coinciding with the birth of our twins. I chuckled remembering that moment fondly. Bella's hair was pasted to her forehead as we kissed to seal our marriage vows.

I went from nothing to everything in such a short time, and I wasn't done yet.

The ranch had taken off by leaps and bounds. I had four full time employees, one of which was another physical therapist, like me. We had ten volunteers that worked here regularly, as well.

With the help of Emmett, we were able to transform the bunkhouse into a true bunkhouse. One weekend a month, we hosted a sleepover for the kids that attended sessions here. We had bonfires and cookouts...they loved it; and they got the chance to see more of the ranch and how it all worked.

James and Tanya were an integral part of that. After they decided to marry, James wanted to find a place to settle. Since we were all here, and my father was here, they opted to make Phoenix their home. Katrina was thrilled that she would get to see my father on a regular basis.

James still consulted on design projects, but his work was mostly contained to the internet. He wanted to be more hands on with the kids, so I made he and Tanya the leaders of the Weekend at Corrine's.

Our next project was an addition to our home. Jasper worked with Bella and I and came up with just what we wanted. Our contractor was, of course, Emmett and McCarty Construction.

Thinking back to when I first arrived here in Phoenix, I'd come a long way. Back then, I knew what I wanted, but never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would get everything, and more.

_Ten years later..._

"LET'S GO!" I stood at the bottom of the stairs, yelling at the four women who resided in my house.

"Go get in the car, Lucas." I looked over my shoulder at my son. He was already pulling at the necktie that his mother insisted upon him wearing. At thirteen, I already knew that he would be a heart breaker.

Lucas had my father's features and my unruly hair, while his twin, Lily, looked just like her mother. She was beautiful and smart as a whip. Too bad she was also cursed with my hair. Which is why I was still waiting on the girls.

"We're coming!" Bella hollered.

I watched as the four most important women in my life descended the stairs.

Bella was first and looked absolutely ravishing. Her simple wrap dress was a shade of blue that complimented her creamy pale skin perfectly. She looked at least five years younger than her age and was still sexy as hell at thirty-five.

Abbey was next. Our youngest child was a carbon copy of her mother, small framed with the same color hair as Bella. Abbey was a feisty, opinionated ten year old, who thought she was fifteen. She was a sweetheart and a daddy's girl to boot.

The actual fifteen year old was Mary. She had grown up to be such a pretty girl. She was at the top of her sophomore class and had her sights set on social work. She wanted to help kids in need, ones that were like she was when we found her so many years ago.

Last, but not least, was Lily. Lily was our problem child. She was plenty smart and could stand toe to toe with anyone. The problem was that she _did_. It was a rare week that we weren't at least called because of some altercation that she instigated. Currently, she is on strict punishment, along with working the ranch by my side.

If it weren't for her oldest brother's graduation, she'd be mucking stalls right now.

"You should put a smile on that pretty face, my dear." I told her as she passed me. "You could be knee deep in shit right now."

Lily scowled at me then stomped out to the car.

"Pushing her buttons will only make it harder to be around her." Bella snickered.

"I know, but it's my job." I smiled and kissed my wife before escorting her out to the car.

Once we were all loaded in the SUV, we set off to watch our son walk across the stage.

The auditorium was crowded and I was extremely happy that we had a block of seats for the entire family. Emmett and his crew were all present. Jasper, Alice and Gracie were there; the older boys were both off at college and couldn't get away to be here.

Only half of the grandparents were there. Charlie and Renee were running a little late, but sent a text telling us they would join us soon.

We said hello to Jake, Seth and Lydia then made our way down to the front where our section was. The kids scattered to sit next to their cousins. While our friends' kids weren't actually related to ours, they referred to themselves as cousins.

The ceremony began with the school band playing. The faculty took the stage while the graduating seniors lined up on the main floor. All the students carried white roses and as they moved across the floor in front of the stage, they broke off and presented the roses to their respective mothers.

That was all it took for the waterworks to start with Bella. She pulled out a pillow pack of tissues and dabbed at her eyes.

The kids all sat in a section of empty chairs near the stage. We suffered through four of the faculty member's speeches until it was finally time to hear from the Valedictorian, Phillip.

I was proud of all of my kids. Even after being held back a year and struggling another two, Phillip finally got it together and never looked back.

I found myself anticipating what he was going to say. I'd heard bits and pieces of his speech while he practiced in his room, though not enough to know what he was going to say.

Phillip walked slowly to the podium, adjusting the microphone. He looked up and smiled at the crowd. The boy didn't look like he was nervous at all.

"When we get to this point in our lives, the people around us always ask the same thing. 'What do you want to do with your life?'. Most of us have some kind of answer; college, the military, or even the classic 'taking a year off.'" The crowd chuckled as he flashed his brilliant smile at them.

"I'd like to quote something that my father once said to me." Phillip paused and found me in the crowd.

"He told me that I could be anything that I wanted to be and I would have his unconditional support. He said that even if I wanted to chuck my football scholarship to become a ballet dancer, that he would be in the front row, cheering me on."

Phillip's watery eyes mimicked my own. I grasped Bella's hand, squeezing it gently. She silently offered her little pack of tissues to me.

"Many of you don't know about my humble beginnings, and I won't bore you with all of that right now. Suffice it to say, that if it wasn't for my loving, supportive and generous parents, I would not be standing here today."

Phillip cleared his throat and wiped at his eyes before finding us again in the crowd.

"Mom, Dad? Thank you. Thank you for finding me, thank you for saving me. Thank you for showing me what love is."

If I hadn't been crying before, I certainly was now.

"To the teachers and staff, thank you for giving us your best. Fellow graduates, go out and find that thing that makes your heart race. Find that thing that makes you feel complete. But, you know what? Even if you stumble, you can always start over. My dad did, and he is the best person that I know. He is successful, happy and fulfilled. I could not have asked for a better role model."

Phillip folded up the paper that his speech was written on and took a step back from the podium. That was the only cue we needed for our whole section to stand and cheer.

"That's my boy." I said to no one in particular. Bella's arms snaked around my waist then rested her head against my shoulder.

After the throngs of people began to clear the auditorium, we gathered our crew and headed out to the parking lot. We took lots of pictures then headed to the restaurant where we had a reservation.

Because we had over twenty people in our party, we had an entire section of the eatery cordoned off for us. I stood in the hostess area directing our group to where we were sitting.

My head snapped up when I heard the high-pitched voice belonging to none other than Lily. The woman that she had apparently run into had her back to me. All I could see was Lily's face contorted in anger and the woman's arms flailing.

"What is going on here?" I demanded, taking Lily by the arm. I looked up at the woman to apologize for my child, but I was dumbstruck.

"Edward?" she asked.

"Hello Kate." I said evenly. Even though I'd recognize her anywhere, she looked tired and worn. Her face had aged rather ungracefully, leaving sagging skin around her eyes and neck.

"Is this yours?" she asked, pointing at my daughter.

"Excuse me?" Lily responded.

"Lily! Let me handle this. Go find your brothers and stay there."

"Her brothers? Just how many rug rats do you have?" Her look was incredulous and her tone was filled with contempt.

"Not that it's any of your business, but Bella and I have five children." My hands rested on my hips, just daring her to say something about my kids.

"Five?!" she exclaimed. "Jesus, Edward. Maybe you should take my card in case you want an upgrade. Your wife must be a cow." Kate plucked a business card from her purse and offered it to me.

Just then, Lily reappeared and stomped on one of Kate's feet.

"Don't you talk about my mom like that you stupid witch."

Kate was hopping around on one foot, cursing up a storm. When she regained her footing, she grabbed for Lily.

"Don't you lay a hand on my child." Bella seethed. She snatched Kate's card from her and proceeded to rip it into tiny pieces.

Kate stood back and stared at Bella. Honestly, it was a sight to behold. She was glorious.

"Your _child_ is a heathen! What does that say about the kind of parent you are?!" she yelled.

"A damn sight better than one who got rid of hers as if they were an illness." Bella said, only inches from Kate. "And, if anyone is a cow, it's you. The years have not been kind." Bella observed, as she gave Kate a once over.

I took my wife's hand, wrapping it behind me with my own. I glanced up at Kate for a split second then kissed the hell out of Bella.

"Come on, we have a graduation to celebrate." I whispered against her lips.

"Geeze, you guys. Couldn't you at least tone it down while we're in public?" Lily said loudly. "They do this _all_ the time." she told Kate.

I heard Kate huff loudly, then storm off.

"Who was that anyway?" Lilly asked.

"Nobody." I smiled.

That was the last time that I ever thought about ex-wife.

Taking Lily's hand, I leaned down to let her know what I thought about her actions.

"You're off shit shoveling duty, squirt."

...

When I first met Bella, I thought she was too young to know what she wanted. Too naïve to make decisions that would affect her entire life. Now, seeing her surrounded by our five children, I can see how wrong I was to assume such things.

She taught me how to live again. She taught me how to love again.

She taught me how to walk.

* * *

**Final A/N: I want to thank you all for taking this journey with me. I missed quite a few review replies, but I read each and every one of them. I appreciate all of you: readers, followers, alerters and reviewers. **

**I have a few things in the works right now. A collab with TheQueenWriter, a OS, a multi-chapter CEOward, and I entered a contest.**

**I'm also working with xXKiwiCullenXx again. She is re-working her current fic, Push.**

**If you haven't been reading about Bird and Dur by TheQueenWriter, you should go check that one out as well. **

**My 'team': Chevy, Kari & Kim (alphabetical order so as not to offend 3 ) I could not have completed this story without any of you. I love you three dearly! **

**Contest Info: TwiHEA Contest**

** fanfiction dot net /~ twiheacontest  
**

**It's anonymous, so you'll have to read the entries to try to figure out which is mine! If you are so inclined, voting is March 30-April 13**

**Happy Reading! xoxox**


End file.
